Initial investigation into sex abuse GP
23/05/2005
Thank you for all your time and excellent work and rest assured that if myself or family or friends require any legal help in the future I will refer them to yourselves.
Michael, Crawley
Women who were sexually abused by their GP will hear findings of an initial investigation this morning.
Dr Roy Murray a GP was jailed for six years for indecently assaulting 23 women patients in September 2004. He practiced at the Liverpool Road surgery in St Helens from 1981 to 2002.
Patients directly affected have been invited by the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority to attend a meeting this morning. The women will hear the initial findings of their review so far into Dr Murray's practice.
But solicitor Louise Hunt, of health lawyers Alexander Harris believes the PCT and local health authority could have done more. She represents six of the women involved and will be attending the meeting: "Legal action against the PCT and the local health authority will be looked at for their failure to stop Dr Murray sooner. These women have suffered a terrible ordeal caused by a man whom they placed their trust in."
"A local health authority was held responsible for not stopping a GP from Kent, Clifford Ayling last year. He was jailed for four years for indecently assaulting 13 of his patients over a seven year period. Women successfully claimed the authority could have stopped Ayling's actions earlier", explained Louise
"We want to achieve a swift resolution for the women involved in this case, to bring this traumatic experience to a conclusion. But, so far I have had difficulty accessing the key documentation from various sources to get things moving quickly."
Victims claim complaints were made to the local health authority, but Murray continued to assault more women. A police investigation began after a former patient confided in a counsellor in 2002. More women began to come forward.
Murray was convicted in September 2004 after a nine week trial that looked at 30 charges of indecent assault spanning 14 years. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. The women claimed he carried out more intimate examinations than necessary and took a long time to complete them.
Notes
Louise Hunt is recommended as a leading clinical negligence specialist in the UK. She will be available for interviews after the meeting. Please contact our media management department at Alexander Harris solicitors on 08700 77 88 77 for further information.
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