THE senior barrister chairing an inquiry into Richard Neale has agreed to meet campaigners to discuss their concerns.

Campaigners believe it could be the last chance to turn the inquiry into the disgraced former surgeon - who worked at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, North Yorkshire - into a more wide-ranging investigation into the issue of protecting patients against incompetent doctors.

Patients fear that the present inquiry - which is limited to how the NHS dealt with the torrent of complaints about Mr Neale between 1985-97 - is doomed to failure unless its scope is expanded.

In a separate development, the chairwoman has invited interested parties to attend a private meeting with her in York on December 5.

Suzan Matthews, QC, will hold a private meeting with representatives of about 250 former patients treated by Mr Neale.

Graham Maloney, advisor to the Action and Support Group for Medical Victims of Richard Neale, said he was pleased that Ms Matthews had agreed to meet the group.

"This inquiry is going to cost the taxpayer an awful lot of money and we want to ensure that it tackles some of the questions that concern us," said Mr Maloney.

"We will be pressing for evidence from private patients to be accepted, which is what happened in the inquiry into Rodney Ledward."

Ledward was struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC) three years ago for serious professional misconduct relating to 13 botched operations at two Kent hospitals between 1989 and 1996.

Mr Maloney added: "Surely the role of the General Medical Council in all this needs to be examined, not to mention the part played by the Department of Health.

"We will ask the chairman to extend the terms of reference of the inquiry.

"Someone from the GMC needs to attend to explain why it took so long to protect the public from this man."

Mr Neale was struck off in July 2000 after the GMC found 34 allegations of serious professional misconduct proven against him, including botching operations and dishonesty.

Campaigners want to know why it took 15 years to halt a surgeon who had been struck off in Canada before joining the NHS and who attracted hundreds of complaints from patients.

Despite warnings about Mr Neale from a former colleague in Canada, no action was taken against him until he was suspended more than two years ago.

Recently, the inquiry team appealed for former patients of Mr Neale to come forward and give evidence. The team can be contacted by calling freephone 0800 389 7495.

Read more about the Richard Neale scandal here.