Sunday Independent
January 27, 2002
Doctor faces censure for misconduct
Families demand Irish Medical
Council publish report on improper findings of sexual abuse
by Fergal Bowers
Editor of The Health Website,
irishhealth.com
The Irish Medical Council will meet next week to decide whether to publish a
report on the biggest inquiry of its kind in this country. The case involves Dr
Moira Woods, the social campaigner and former head of the Sexual Assault
Treatment Unit at the
It was alleged that Dr Woods made improper findings of sexual abuse involving
11 children from five families. At the inquiry she strongly rejected the claims
and allegations of professional misconduct, insisting that her actions were
clinically justified and in keeping with the standards of the time.
The report of the inquiry by the council's Fitness to Practise Committee will
be presented to the meeting on Tuesday. The report found her guilty of
professional misconduct on a number of counts, but not all in relation to her
handling of all 11 cases.
According to the report, seen by the Sunday Independent, it is alleged that Dr
Woods failed to apply the standards of clinical judgement expected among
medical practitioners; that these standards were prevalent and known in the
mid-Eighties; that she acted in a manner not in the best interest of a number
of children and that some children were unnecessarily removed from parental
custody.
The council must now decide what penalty, if any, to apply and whether the
report should be made public. The report recommends a penalty of censure,
restrictions on her continued practice as a doctor, and restraining. It will be
up to the council to decide whether this or a higher penalty should be imposed.
The families involved have demanded that the report be published and that
copies be given to them next week.
Last month, a number of the families held a press conference and sought a
public inquiry. Last night, family representatives said they would go to the
council's headquarters on Tuesday to demand that the report be made public. One
of the families will be pressing the full Medical Council to impose a higher
penalty than that recommended in the report. In relation to a penalty, the
council can decide to censure Dr Woods, suspend her from practice or strike her
off the registrar. Her lawyers are expected to attend next week's meeting to
make pleas in mitigation on penalty.
She will have 21 days in which to appeal a ruling to the High Court.
The abuse allegations were initially made by social workers and two health boards
are involved. Children were removed from families and taken into care but later
returned. In one case, five children from one family were taken into care. The
first allegations of professional misconduct were made in 1992 by parents.