Cornwall's main hospital could be sued by hundreds of patients who have had medication inserted up their bums without their consent by a pervert doctor. A class action-type lawsuit is being prepared by two law firms representing some of the victims of perv Iuliu Stan. More than 200 people could have fallen victim to the struck-off Romanian doctor when he worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
Dr Stan, who worked at Treliske between October 2015 and September 2020, subjected patients to unnecessary anal examinations without their permission and inserted medications into their rectums. Some of the allegations against Dr Stan relate to children.
On up to 200 occasions he prescribed and administered medication which he inserted in patients' rectums, failed to obtain informed consent from the patients and failed to offer alternative medications.
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A report by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal, which was published in February, highlighted significant failings in Dr Stan's treatment of patients, including a disturbing pattern of behaviour that was determined to be sexually motivated. At the time he was working in the trauma and orthopaedics team at Treliske.
One of his victims who is taking legal action said they were in hospital after suffering injuries from a road crash when it is alleged that "Dr Stan failed to obtain consent to administer the painkiller Volteral via the rectum, and he failed to arrange for a chaperone to be present".
Following several incidents being reported, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) made a referral to the General Medical Council and Dr Stan faced an independent medical tribunal which concluded in February. The tribunal ruled that up to 40 male patients over a five-year period were "preyed upon" by the Romanian national.
Earlier this month, parents in Cornwall discovered that their children may have been victims of the pervert doctor - when they received the news in the post after the RCHT wrote to many parents to advise them that their children may be among Dr Stan's victims. Gary Walker, a partner and abuse specialist at Enable Law, who is acting on behalf of a number of patients affected by Dr Stan, said at the time that the letter would likely have been the first time many people had heard they or their children may have been victim of possible sexual offences.
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Fellow law firm Thompsons Solicitors, which is looking to sue Dr Stan's employer RCHT, said that on the back of the letter sent out by RCHT many more patients had made contact with them with regards to filing a law suit against the NHS trust.
Matthew Jones, a lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors, which has offices in Bristol and Plymouth, said: "The breadth and severity of the alleged misconduct by Stan are deeply troubling.
“Based on the evidence and the patterns of behaviour outlined in the tribunal’s report, we believe there may be hundreds of alleged victims who suffered under his care. The patients who have been impacted deserve answers, and we are pleased that the police have now launched a criminal investigation into the matter."
A spokesperson for the law firm added: "We don’t know Dr Stan's current location. The legal action now underway would be brought against his employer, which is the NHS Trust."
Thompsons Solicitors is now calling for anyone who believes they were a victim of Dr Stan to come forward. The firm has set up a dedicated helpline for those wanting to reach out for legal advice 0808 2522781.
A spokesperson for RCHT said: "Due to ongoing enquiries, we are unable to disclose specific details but can confirm we have written to a number of former patients of Dr Stan. We are working with safeguarding services and the police, and patients have been given contact points from where we can tailor support to their individual needs."
