The victims of a Royal Cornwall Hospital gynaecologist known as 'The Butcher' who allegedly harmed more than 200 women have welcomed the striking-off of the hospital's former medical director, their solicitor has said.

Former Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) medical director Robert Pitcher was struck off the medical register by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service,for failing to take action over the conduct of disgraced former gynaecologist and obstetrician, Rob Jones.

Mike Bird, a solicitor from Foot Anstey LLP, said: “The tribunal concluded that Dr Pitcher showed a blatant disregard for safeguards. He failed in his obligation as medical director to protect patients from risk of harm posed by another colleague’s inadequate performance. He failed in his fundamental obligation to put patients’ safety first.

“Dr Pitcher's failures mean that Mr Jones was allowed to continue to practice for another five years, until he was finally stopped in 2012.

“Many of the women and children treated by Mr Jones during that time, were put at unnecessary risk of harm. Those who were harmed are entitled to feel very angry indeed about that.”

The tribunal found that Dr Pitcher failed in his duty as medical director to protect patients, by addressing concerns about Mr Jones, which were raised by two colleagues in 2007, despite a review of his work presented by another doctor in January 2008.

Mr Jones himself escaped investigation and sanction by voluntarily removing himself from the medical register in 2012.

Mr Bird added: “It will be of some comfort to the injured women and children to see that the GMC pursued these allegations against all three doctors, and that the MPTS took the allegations so seriously. The women and children who were brave enough to come forward and add their voices to the concerns about Mr Jones can feel that they have made a difference, not only in Cornwall, but nationally.

“There is a strong message here for all trust directors and managers: listen to your medical professionals and patients, take their concerns seriously, and do something about them.”

One of Mr Jones' victims, Claire Hill from Tywardreath, said: “I'm delighted but really, really angry at the same time.

“I’m delighted because the tribunal has reinforced that patient safety is the most important thing in healthcare, and that doctors in management must remember that always. If they don't, then they will be held accountable. I’m also delighted because this might help give junior doctors the confidence to come forward if they are worried about other doctors' poor practice.

“But I am angry because I can't believe how a medical director can have done what Dr Pitcher did and thought it was OK. It was not OK, the tribunal said it was shocking and deplorable. If Dr Pitcher had done his job properly, Mr Jones would have been investigated in 2007, maybe even earlier than that - and would probably been removed or retrained, so hundreds of women would have escaped the harm he did them.

“So I am really angry for all those women who put their trust in him and were betrayed.

“It’s a shame that Mr Jones has never been held to account. I'm sorry that other doctors have suffered for him, but I guess that’s less of a price than we paid.”