One of the largest ever class actions in British medical history is being faced by Liverpool Women’s NHS Trust Foundation, following over 200 claims concerning bladder operations being botched by Consultant George Rowland between the late 1990s – 2007 at Aintree Centre for Women’s Health.

Mr Rowland performed 1500 operations at the Centre during this period on patients suffering from incontinence problems, so the number of claimants could double after investigations have unearthed problems with 30% of his cases.

He operated on patients with incontinence, many of whom have since suffered painful side effects and more severely with the original problem than before their operations.

Independent investigators have concluded that Mr Rowland also operated unnecessarily on female patients after over-diagnosing them with stress incontinence.

Margaret Murphy, 56, now suffers from incontinence after being operated on by Mr Rowland and says:

“I wish I hadn’t have had any of the operations because I’m worse off than when it all started.”

Dr David Richmond, the hospital’s Medical Director, has been accused by Mr Rowland of ignoring his pleas that he was ‘overwhelmed’ by his work load and doubting of his own abilities since 2002, but he was allowed to continue operating in an atmosphere of desperation to hit targets set by the government.

The Trust suspended Mr Rowland from work in 2008, insisting that it acted appropriately in light of the information it had received, but has been criticised for not doing so sooner by Ian Cohen, the medical negligence lawyer representing many of Mr Rowland’s patients, some dating back to the late 1990s.