Medical Council to discuss 'Neary' ruling

The Medical Council is today expected to discuss the High Court ruling in the case of two of three consultants who produced a…

The Medical Council is today expected to discuss the High Court ruling in the case of two of three consultants who produced a report on obstetrician Dr Michael Neary.

Last month the High Court ruled that the council's findings of professional misconduct against Dr John Murphy and Prof Walter Prendiville were unlawful. The council must decide whether to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Dr Murphy and Prof Prendiville were two of the three obstetricians who cleared Dr Michael Neary of wrongdoing in a report on operations he had carried out on women at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

Dr Neary was found guilty of professional misconduct and struck off the medical register in 2003 for performing unnecessary Caesarean hysterectomies on 10 patients.

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The Medical Council investigated the three doctors who exonerated Dr Neary and its fitness to practise committee recommended sanctions be imposed on them.

On December 19th, Mr Justice Peter Kelly held that the fitness to practise committee failed to give any reasons for its majority decision that the doctors were guilty of professional misconduct and that they were left "absolutely in the dark" as to the basis for those findings.

The Medical Council is due to meet at 2.30pm today.