Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust publishes Jimmy Savile abuse report

Hospital staff should have stopped Jimmy Savile from sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl at a hospital in Dewsbury in 1969, a report has found.

The report into the actions of the serial sex offender also says a lewd comment he made about a patient during a visit to Pinderfields Hospital in 2010 was not reported.

A series of reports into sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour by Savile at NHS hospitals have been published today.

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Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust is among organisations which investigated Savile’s actions.

Its report said a patient named as Ms X was 15 when Savile visited Staincliffe Hospital, which was later taken over by Dewsbury and District Hospital, in 1969.

The report said: “Savile sexually assaulted her by attempting to lay on top of her and “French kissing” her.”

But people laughed during the incident in 1969 and it was not challenged. The report said: “This incident should have been stopped by the staff present.

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“The resulting effect on a vulnerable teenager has left her with a legacy that has affected her into adult life.”

More than forty years later, Savile visited Pinderfields Hospital on October 8, 2010, to officially open its spinal injuries unit.

The report said Savile was overheard by the ward sister making in appropriate comment about a young female patient lying in one of the beds.

The report said: “When Savile came out of the room he made a comment similar to, ‘I wouldn’t mind seeing her in a bikini.’

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“The ward sister thought the comment was inappropriate and ushered the visiting party out of the clinical area.”

The report said procedures for reporting incidents and managing visits to hospitals had since been improved.

But the report said: “The investigation into this incident concluded that the ward sister should have reported this at the time and the management of official visits into clinical areas should be improved.”

The ward sister did report the incident when Savile’s sexual offending later emerged, the report said.

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Stephen Eames, chief executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, thanked the victim of the 1969 assault for reporting the incident.

He said: “I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim in coming forward and allowing us to investigate this incident.

“The trust works very hard with its partners across West Yorkshire to try and protect vulnerable children and adults from harm and I would encourage anyone affected by such crimes to come forward and report it.”

Reports published today also found that Savile abused 60 people over 30 years at Leeds General Infirmary, where he had unrestricted access because of his charity work.