Milestone reached in Dr Iuliu Stan case as Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust admits liability

Coodes Solicitors today welcomed the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust’s decision to admit liability and extend an unreserved apology for the actions of Dr Iuliu Stan, a former locum senior house officer in Trauma and Orthopaedics.

This marks a significant milestone in achieving justice for the many patients affected by Dr Stan’s misconduct.

Dr Stan, who worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospital between 2015 and 2020, was struck off in 2024 after being found guilty of misconduct by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal. The tribunal concluded he had ‘preyed’ on male patients for his own ‘sexual gratification’. A number of the victims were minors.

The initial investigation and tribunal highlighted the cases of 37 patients who were contacted by Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust in January 2024. However, it emerged that a further undisclosed number of former patients were written to in summer 2024 informing them they may also have received inappropriate treatment from the same doctor. Many of these subsequently sought support and advice from Coodes Solicitors.

Now, the Trust has written (Friday January 10^th 2025) to solicitors representing affected individuals to admit liability for the actions of the clinician and offer an unreserved apology to victims.

It has proposed an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process involving the Trust’s lawyers and solicitors representing former patients to resolve claims relating to the actions of Dr Stan. The Trust has also advised that support services for those affected by Dr Stan’s actions are available and detailed on their website: Enquiries regarding Dr Iuliu Stan | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Rachel Pearce, Head of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence at Coodes Solicitors, said:
“We commend the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust for making full admissions of liability so quickly and for their unreserved apology to the patients and families affected by Dr Stan’s actions. This is a critical step forward in ensuring justice and accountability.

“While the Trust is signposting support services on its website, we urge anyone who has received a letter from the Trust or who believes they may have been affected by the actions of Dr Stan to get in touch with our team so that they can access specialist support and representation.

“We are already representing a significant number of clients in this distressing case and have the knowledge and relevant legal expertise to support those affected with sensitivity and understanding.”