A MUM claims she was treated by a doctor who was not allowed to practice.

Yvonne Maddocks says a medic who helped deliver her youngest child was not registered with the General Medical Council.

She discovered the apparent mistake while complaining about the treatment she received in Leighton Hospital and enlisted the help of AIMS, the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services.

"We contacted the GMC in London, and subsequently discovered that this doctor was not registered to practice, which all doctors and nurses are required to be," said Yvonne, from Kingsley Walk in Winsford.

"He had, in fact, been erased from their register 12 months before my baby's delivery, in December 1994, for non-payment of his annual retention fee.

"He then continued to practice, without his register, at Leighton Hospital until August 1996."

Now Yvonne, who has four other children, wants to contact other women who may have experienced similar problems.

"It is the Mid Cheshire Hospital Trust's duty to ensure that all of their doctors and nurses are fully registered, and that their registration is renewed annually," added the 37-year-old. "How they allowed him to practice unregistered defies belief."

The GMC cannot deal with a complaint if the doctor is not registered. Yvonne says it is only because the doctor in question is applying to rejoin the list that they are investigating her claims.

Simon Yates, chief executive of Leighton Hospital, said: "As Mrs Maddocks is currently in the process of pursuing a claim against Mid Cheshire Hospitals Trust regarding this matter, we are unable to comment in any detail regarding her allegations."

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