The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) has admitted liability and apologised after a doctor sexually abused patients.
Dr Luliu Stan, who worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, was struck off the medical register in 2024 after an investigation by the General Medical Council and a tribunal.
The tribunal found he had subjected patients to unnecessary intimate procedures, including the administration of rectal medication, for his own sexual gratification.
A previous investigation by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals found Dr Stan had prescribed and administered rectal medication on over 200 occasions – sometimes giving it to the same patient multiple times.
Dr Stan qualified in Romania in 2007. He was a Locum Senior House Officer in Trauma and Orthopaedics for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust between 2017 and 2020.
A spokesperson for the Royal Cornwall Hospital said: “We have written to affected individuals to admit liability for the actions of Dr Stan and to offer an unreserved apology to victims.
“We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by his serious professional misconduct and his abuse of the trust placed in him by patients.
“Whilst we must follow due legal process, we will be doing everything we can to bring investigations and claims made by his victims to an early conclusion.”
In January 2024, a number of patients were told by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust that details of their treatment would form part of the tribunal hearing.
In July, the trust wrote to another group of former patients to tell them Dr Stan had given them rectal medication when they were in hospital, and that in other cases the tribunal had found his actions had been sexually motivated.
Peter, who wants to remain anonymous, was one of the patients contacted in July. He was treated by Dr Stan in the emergency department of Royal Cornwall Hospital.
Peter said receiving that news by letter was “horrible” to deal with.
“I have angry moments,” he said. “I’ve actually gone on to medication now to try and numb it down a bit. It leaves you angry, upset and it causes you a lot of stress as well.
“I’m probably never going know what actually happened, and I think that’s going to be the hardest part to live with.”
A spokesperson for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We would urge any patient concerned about the care they received from Dr Stan to contact our team on rcht.patientexperience@nhs.net.
“In addition to supporting patients, we are working closely with safeguarding services and the police regarding their ongoing enquiries into the practice of Dr Stan.”
If you have suffered abuse or would like to discuss experiences, please contact our specialist abuse solicitor, Charles Derham on the following: