TORONTO — North York General has settled lawsuits with 26 women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by one of the hospital’s former anesthetists. The suits were settled through an alternative dispute resolution process by which the hospital examined the claims and provided compensation to those who qualified.
Dr. George Doodnaught, who worked at the hospital for 28 years, was charged a little over a year ago with sexually assaulting three women while they were sedated for surgery, The Globe and Mail reports. In September, he was charged in 26 more cases.
The settlement was bound by a confidentiality agreement preventing the process used to address the claims from being discussed. In addition, the amount of compensation and number of claimants who qualified is confidential. The process was designed to allow the allegedly victims to protect their anonymity. It is not clear whether the compensation was available to all of the allegeled victims or just the 26 represented by Thomson Rogers, a lawyer.
The criminal case is still ongoing. Under his bail conditions, Doodnaught is not allowed to have any contact with female patients and he must be supervised by another doctor if treating a patient.
Records from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario indicate that Doodnaught is not practicing anywhere in the province.
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