MORE than 70 women complained of sexual abuse in North-East hospitals over a 40-year period - but no one listened.

And last night, doctors and NHS managers were finally called to account for disregarding their claims.

The delayed report into how the NHS dealt with complaints by women patients against two North Yorkshire psychiatrists - William Kerr and Michael Haslam - painted a picture of "management failure, poor record-keeping and a culture where the consultant was all-powerful".

Nigel Pleming QC, chairman of the Kerr Haslam Inquiry, criticised healthcare professionals who "chose to remain silent when they should have been raising their voices".

It echoed previous failings of the NHS in North Yorkshire highlighted by the inquiry into Northallerton gynaecologist Richard Neale.

Mr Pleming told a press conference in York that the "vulnerable" female psychiatric patients who complained of sexually inappropriate behaviour had been "let down" by the NHS.

He urged the Government to implement the panel's 74 recommendations as soon as possible - many of which are similar to those in the Neale inquiry last summer.

His plea was echoed last night by Lila Taylor, of York, one of the women whom Haslam was convicted of indecently assaulting. She hoped the Government would act as quickly as possible.

"I'm very pleased with the outcome," she said.

"The report is very thorough and they have dealt with everyone very sensitively."

Kathy Haq, from Sunderland, a former patient of Dr Kerr in Harrogate, said workers who did nothing to help patients should "hang their heads in shame".

She hoped the recommendations will be implemented "to ensure that no other lady should be allowed to suffer as we had for all of these years".

The 544-page report was ordered by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn after a string of allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour against the two psychiatrists.

In many cases, former patients claimed that their complaints were not taken seriously by the NHS.

The report found "no deliberate conspiracy" to conceal a scandal, but patients who raised concerns or tried to complain were "routinely disbelieved", the report added.

A total of 67 patients made allegations against Dr Kerr, while another ten made allegations against Haslam.

In 2000, Dr Kerr, of Easingwold, was found by a jury to have indecently assaulted a former patient.

Dr Michael Haslam, of Crayke, near Easingwold, was recently released from prison after being jailed in 2003 for indecently assaulting three former patients in the 1980s.

Both consultants deny indecently assaulting patients.

While Mr Pleming was "optimistic" that attitudes had changed within the medical profession towards complaints, he and his colleagues expressed concern that sexual abuse of vulnerable adult patients "may be far more prevalent than hitherto realised or accepted".

The case of Kerr and Haslam has echoes of the Richard Neale scandal, where patients who complained felt they were not listened to.

Following the Kerr, Haslam, Neale, Shipman, Ayling and Peter Green inquiries, Mr Pleming said the Department of Health should appoint a multi-disciplinary committee to consider recommendations which relate to complaints and patient protection.

In Kerr's case, there was evidence that 38 ex-patients told NHS staff of sexualised behaviour by the consultant stretching back to the 60s. In Haslam's case, there was evidence that at least eight patients raised concerns about his alleged sexual advances towards them. However, no investigation was launched.

The inquiry panel singled out Deputy Sister Linda Bigwood, of Clifton Hospital, in York, as "one of the few key whistleblowers".

After a patient complained about an alleged relationship with Kerr, Sister Bigwood pursued her concerns for almost five years. But despite concern among Harrogate GPs, no attempt was made by NHS bosses to investigate.