THE chairman of the Richard Neale inquiry says she is determined to make it a "rigorous and comprehensive" investigation, which will protect patients in future from other poorly performing doctors.

Suzan Matthews QC has revealed it will examine a range of probing questions about the way the consultant gynaecologist was employed at Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, between 1985 and 1995.

It will, for example, examine:

Why favourable references were given to Neale

How his employment was terminated

Why the fact that Neale was struck off in Canada was not acted upon.

Mrs Matthews wrote to the Evening Press to clarify the role of the investigation into Neale, of Langthorpe, Boroughbridge, who was struck off by the GMC in 2000 for botching a series of operations.

She said a significant number of former patients had already come forward and attended meetings in York and Northallerton. "But it became clear at those meetings that there is a degree of misunderstanding about the role of the inquiry."

She said she wanted to make it clear that she would like to hear from former private patients of Neale, as well as NHS patients.

Many former patients have criticised the decision to hold the inquiry behind closed doors. But Mrs Matthews says this decision had been supported by the High Court and Court of Appeal.

She stressed: "My panel members and I are absolutely determined to make this a rigorous and comprehensive investigation of the facts, and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State, which we hope will enable poorly performing doctors to be identified earlier and the public protected."

She said there was still time for more former patients to come forward and invited them to do so.

Updated: 11:20 Friday, January 24, 2003