Compensation for patient sexually abused by doctor

A patient who was sexually assaulted by a doctor has secured a five-figure settlement.

Thompsons Solicitors said the compensation had been agreed following the abuse carried out by Dr Iuliu Stan during his time at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) between 2015 and 2020.

Stan was found by a medical practitioners tribunal in 2024 to have subjected mainly male patients, including children, to "unnecessary intimate and invasive procedures" for his sexual gratification.

The RCHT, which admitted liability last year, said a compensation scheme had been set up for patients who received inappropriate care from Stan.

The misconduct hearing found Stan, who was a locum senior house officer in trauma and orthopaedics, prescribed and administered rectal medication personally on more than 200 occasions and sometimes multiple times to the same patient.

In January, RCHT confirmed Stan had also been negligent in the use of urinary catheters and examinations of genital areas.

Thompsons Solicitors said the out-of-court settlement it had secured reflected the physical and emotional impact of the abuse on the patient.

Partner Samantha Hemsley said: "Many patients were left distressed after discovering that the treatment they received was an abuse, an abuse that occurred whilst they were at their most vulnerable."

The RCHT spokesperson said the compensation scheme was voluntary and "designed to provide rapid resolution and compensation" for patients who had experienced one or more "inappropriate intimate procedures" by Stan.

"The first of those claims was settled last November and the value will vary depending on individual circumstances," they added.

The spokesperson added any of Stan's former patients who believed they might have a claim could find information on the RCHT website.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].