GYNAECOLOGIST Richard Neale made a written apology to a colleague for botching an operation on an incontinent woman, the General Medical Council (GMC) heard yesterday.

Mr Neale, 52, asked consultant urologist Mr Ian Eardlay, at St James' Hospital, Leeds, to help him out after an operation he had performed on Mrs K at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, went wrong.

Mr Eardley told the council's professional conduct committee that Mr Neale, of The Firs, Langthorpe, Boroughbridge, York, had operated on Mrs K for stress incontinence, during which her bladder was punctured.

Mr Neale had admitted "nicking" her bladder but had hoped it would heal itself in time.

His letter to Mr Eardley had said that he "felt we had a good repair but now she is as bad as ever".

He apologised to Mr Eardley for the "whole dismal affair".

Mr Eardley was giving evidence at a resumed hearing of the committee, in Central London, where Mr Neale is accused of "incompetence over operations on 14 women at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, and St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight.

He admitted failing to perform a pre-operative x-ray or post-operative mammogram on Mrs A to ensure that an area of calcifications had been successfully removed, but denies botching operations on other women

He also denies making false claims about his qualifications in an application for a post as an assessorr of doctors' performance in or about March 1997.

The hearing continues.