The disgraced gynaecologist Richard Neale, who was struck off for serious professional misconduct, has been working in the NHS.

Mr Neale, was banned from either operating or treating patients in July 2000 after he was found guilty of 34 charges.

A GMC hearing heard that he had botched the care of his female patients leaving 15 of them in pain, incontinent or unable to bear children.

But it has emerged that just a year after the ban Mr Neale, 54, found work again in the NHS at the South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust.

He had no clinical responsibilities and no contact with patients

A spokesman from South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust

Contract

The trust, which runs the Wythenshawe and Withington hospitals, confirmed it had employed the doctor on a temporary contract.

It said that between August 2001 and April 2002 he had held an administrative post.

A spokesman said: "He held a junior administrative post in the clinical audit department for nine months.

"He had no clinical responsibilities and no contact with patients.

"Mr Neale's employment was terminated by the trust in April."

Botched

Mr Neale, who was already banned from working in Canada, was struck off the medical register by the GMC, after nearly 15 years of botched operations.

Most of the incidents happened at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

He also worked in Leicester and at the private Portland Hospital, in London.

Mess

Graham Maloney, the adviser to the 250-strong Action and Support Group for Medical Victims of Richard Neale, said the decision to employ him had been "total madness" and "devastating".

The GMC struck Mr Neale off last year

He said: "The only thing he should ever be doing in a hospital is pushing a broom, and that's debatable.

"We are still trying to pick up the pieces of the mess Neale left across this country so to find out he's been working in an acute hospital is beyond belief. It is total madness.

"While we were arguing our case in the High Court he was working in Manchester after he's been struck off. We just can't believe it.

"A lot of the ladies involved have been contacting us about this and they're absolutely gutted. What have they been fighting for over the past four years?

"One lady has rung us four times, just saying 'Am I imagining this?'

"This man just wants taking off the system. What are the Department of Health doing. Are they going to go for the hat-trick and employ him again?"

Patient

A former patient, Sheila Wright-Hogeland, of Kirbymoorside, North Yorkshire, said: "What were people thinking of hiring him?

This man has left a trail of mayhem

Sheila Wright-Hogeland

"Here he is bouncing around the NHS again. Within a year of being stuck off he has found work.

"He just keeps on popping up. It has got to be an embarrassment to the Department of Health and to the General Medical Council. We couldn't believe it.

"They are going around saying the patient has to come first. How is this putting the patient first, employing a twice struck-off doctor, even if he hasn't got a scalpel in his hand.

"This man has left a trail of mayhem across Canada as well as across the UK.

"We feel he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a hospital. It is totally insensitive to the women whose lives have been blighted by him."

Scandalous

Former Tory leader William Hague said he was shocked that Neale had been allowed to work again in the NHS.

"This is almost beyond belief after everything that has happened and it seems that Richard Neale was being employed in Manchester even while we were debating his scandalous behaviour on the floor of the House of Commons.

"It leaves us all incredulous that the checks on Neale's background could be so poor and we will all want to know how this could happen and what references were taken.

"I have a very large number of constituents who have suffered severe medical problems after being treated by Richard Neale.

"He was struck off in Canada as well as in Britain. There is a long and appalling record of incompetence in his career as a consultant and the idea that he could be employed in clinical audit is too stupid to laugh at."