‘erratic’ Nhs Doctor Obsessed With Ripping Out Women’s Wombs Who Said He ‘liked Slicing’ Hurt Over 100 Women

A FORMER NHS gynaecologist who pushed women to have their wombs removed and acted “erratically” left some suffering “severe physical harm”, a report into his care has found.

It suggests Daniel Hay, who joined the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) NHS Foundation Trust in 2005 and operated on hundreds of women, may have harmed more than 100 patients.

FacebookDaniel Hay worked at the Royal Derby Hospital from 2005 to 2020[/caption] AlamyA major review examined the care given to 325 of his patients between 2015 and 2018[/caption]

A comprehensive review into Mr Hay began in 2020 following serious concerns raised by colleagues, and it assessed 325 of his cases between 2015 and 2018 at Royal Derby Hospital and Ripley Hospital.

Commissioned by the Gynaecology Review Steering Group, it found Mr Hay “lacked insight, demonstrated poor clinical practice, and failed to recognise the possible risks that could result from his behaviour”.

The long awaited report – which concluded in 2022 but was published on October 1 this year – flagged “major” concerns of harm to 48 women and “some” concerns of harm to 68 women, though it didn’t provide a definition of “concerns of harm”.

It also identified potential “issues of care” for 13 women under Mr Hay’s care, while two women suffered “severe physical harm” and three women suffered “moderate” physical harm.

Investigators contacted women who had been his patients and asked them to share their experiences.

Women described being made to feel like hysterectomies – major surgery to remove the womb – was their only option for treating heavy bleeding and conditions like endometriosis.

One woman said: “I remember Mr Hay asking, ‘What do you want?’

“‘I just want the bleeding to stop’ was my reply. He immediately got his diary out and said, ‘You can have a hysterectomy in April’.”

Another described being offered a hysterectomy after a 10-minute consultation.

A third patient was left “devastated” after her dreams of having a family were dashed when her womb was removed.

The woman asked why she had to have an open hysterectomy rather than a less invasive “keyhole” surgery and “was astounded when Mr Hay answered, ‘l like slicing’,” according to the report.

Investigators found that the consultant had “poor consent processes”, meaning he didn’t take care that his patients were properly informed about the procedures they were undergoing.

“Daniel Hay did not always point out the benefits and risks, and whilst it rarely resulted in adverse clinical outcomes, it undoubtedly unsettled and disturbed some patients,” the report authors said.

His record-keeping was also deemed inadequate, and his communication with patients was often dismissive.

FacebookThe report into the former consultant has identified major failings in his care[/caption]

“Some patients were affected by Daniel Hay’s own style and were unhappy being under his care, either because of not being
offered alternative treatment or more generally due to his poor communication,” the review stated.

“Patients also reported feeling rushed and expressed concern that they had not been examined at their first visit.”

The report notes that Mr Hay was absent from work due to sickness for long periods of time.

“His deteriorating health was potentially a contributing factor to the problems with his practice,” investigators said.

“Concerns were raised about Daniel Hay’s practice in 2017/18, after colleagues had taken over some of his work during an absence.

“Although this triggered the detailed examination of [his] practice, the Panel was surprised to learn that none of these staff had been interviewed by the Trust until 2022.”

Patient testimonies

The report published multiple testimonies from women, none of whom were named for confidentiality reasons, nor were their ages provided.

Several described being rushed into having hysterectomies.

One woman being treated by Mr Hay for heavy menstrual bleeding, and was offered a hysterectomy after a 10-minute consultation with no scan or alternatives discussed, the report said.

She said the surgery left her in pain, suffering anxiety and depression.

Another woman felt she was not given any option other than to have a hysterectomy, saying: “Was such a drastic major operation the only option I had?”

Another described the consultant as “erratic” and “quick thinking”.

One said she blamed herself for the care she received from him.

“I did not feel listened to,” she told investigators.

“Mr Hay was rude and abrupt when he visited me on the ward after my surgery.

“Emotionally I struggle every single day and blame myself for not being strong enough to reject the treatment I was being told was the only option for me.”

A woman underwent surgery for endometriosis but “felt that Mr Hay did not read her scan prior to operating on her.

“When we asked Mr Hay on the ward afterwards why he didn’t remove my endometriosis, he flip-flopped and came up with too many different excuses,” she recalled.

“It was clear he hadn’t read my notes properly.”

Another patient claimed her diagnosis of vulval cancer was delayed by “a full year” as she wasn’t examined and Mr Hay didn’t take any biopsies.

Conclusions and recommendations

The report concluded that Mr Hay “lacked clinical judgment”, adding: “He took shortcuts in his clinical assessment of patients and over time he showed an increasing willingness to take risks.

“He sometimes had a manner that was off-putting, saying little to patients during consultations and failing to explain his course of action in an understandable manner.”

Some of the shortcuts by Mr Hay included not taking full patient histories and not requesting pre-operation scans, the report said.

Recommendations were made to the trust, including that consultants should not work in isolation at clinics, that measures should be put in place to identify poorly performing clinicians,  and that attending multidisciplinary team meetings should be mandatory for clinicians.

In addition to the 325 patients, 58 women had already been reviewed in an earlier assessment carried out in 2019.

The trust was told to consider a review of Mr Hay’s patients before 2015.

The review was also critical of Mr Hay’s former employer.

It stated: “Individual error is found in all healthcare systems; however, Daniel Hay worked in a trust that somehow allowed this to continue until he eventually retired due to ill-health.

“The delayed trust management response to his clinical complications created extreme anxiety over a prolonged period amongst many women.

“This was after missed opportunities for detailed and comprehensive analysis of patients and a lack of assessment of potential harm.”

Dr Gis Robinson, UHDB’s executive chief medical officer, said: “We want to reiterate our unreserved apologies to the women who received care from Mr Hay that was far below the standards expected.

“We also accept that our initial communication and approach about the review was not as compassionate or supportive as it should have been, for which we are truly sorry.

“Following the report we made important changes, with clearer consent procedures and enhanced clinical oversight so any issues with care can be identified more quickly, and improved post-procedure reviews for women.

“We will continue to closely monitor and review these to ensure they are effective and fully integrated, and use our learning to support and inform the next stage of the review.”

Mr Hay, who is in his 60s and from Alfreton in Derbyshire, relinquished his medical licence in July 2021, after retiring in 2020.

He is currently being investigated by Derbyshire Police and was interviewed under caution earlier this year.

He spoke to officers about the procedures he carried out at Royal Derby Hospital and Ripley Hospital, accoridng to the BBC.

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: “Due to the complex nature of the case, inquiries have taken time, however, throughout the investigation we have remained in close contact with those affected and will continue to do so as the investigation continues.”

The Medical Defence Union (MDU), which represents Mr Hay, said it had no further comment to make.

Mr Hay has not provided a statement through the MDU since July 2021, when he said: “I apologise to the women affected by the NHS investigation.

“I am co-operating with the investigation, however, due to my ongoing mental health issues, I ask that you please respect my privacy at this time.”