Whistleblower follows the obstacles encountered by a midwife Louise (Emma Stansfield) as she blows the whistle on Neary (Stanley Townsend)'s irregular obstetric practices. The series was written by Rob Heyland,[2] directed by Dermot Boyd,[3] produced by Siobhán Bourke[4] and Peter Norris and researched by Sheila Ahern. The first episode, broadcast at 21:30 on 31 August 2008, drew in a third of the available audience across all platforms.[5]
Production
The series was based upon the activities of Dr. Michael Neary, a former consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, who was considered to have performed an inordinate number of caesarianhysterectomies during his time at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth. A subsequent inquiry found that Neary had carried out 188 peripartum over a period of 25 years, some on very young women of low parity. The average consultant obstetrician carries out five or six of these operations in their entire career.[5]
Reception
The series' broadcast prompted the support group Patient Focus to renew its call on the Irish government for every woman affected by Neary's actions to be included in the Lourdes hospital redress scheme.[6]
RTÉ were also criticised for airing the series too soon after the conclusion of Neary inquiry, and for making the in-depth script too "upsetting for" all those involved. The commissioning editor of drama with the national broadcaster, Jane Gogan, attempted to justify the broadcast, commenting that; "RTÉ hopes to convey to a wider audience the human cost of the injustices which were exposed, and to illustrate the power of the individual in affecting change".[7]
Midwife Louise discovers a high number of hysterectomies being carried out at the hospital where she works by renowned surgeon Dr. Michael Neary, and subsequently decides upon reporting her suspicions.
2
"Episode 2"
Dermot Boyd
Rob Heyland
1 September 2008 (2008-09-01)
The aftermath of the revelations continues as Louise receives threatening notes and phone calls. As more cases come to light, one victim of malpractice takes her case against Dr. Neary to the High Court.
