A Westcountry hospital is facing a multi-million pound pay-out to 130 women who have joined a mass action over the alleged botched work of a former consultant.
In a further development, the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) has confirmed to the Western Morning News that the cost of funding investigations into the practice of obstetrician Rob Jones, has reached £175,000.
Some eight months after the scandal emerged, women are continuing to come forward, with a several joining the legal fight in the last week alone.
In a statement to the WMN, Mr Jones spoke of his "concern and sympathy" for any former patients who had suffered.
Mike Bird, of Foot Anstey solicitors in Truro, confirmed that around 130 women – much more than previously thought – are currently part of the action against the RCHT.
He said his firm was representing 98 women, Preston Goldburn in Falmouth a further 25 and other law firms a handful more.
He said discussions to establish a legal framework for the action with the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), which manages negligence claims in the health service, were taking longer than expected.
"Although the main principle of the claim management protocol are agreed, it is taking longer than anticipated for the NHSLA to agree the details of the protocol.
"Until the NHSLA agree to sign up to a protocol it is going to be difficult to move this case forward.
"Former patients of Mr Jones are contacting us regularly and are continuing to sign up to the group action."
Mr Jones delivered Prime Minister David Cameron's baby daughter Florence in August 2010, but by then had already been the subject of numerous clinical concerns.
However, his practice was not restricted until October 2011, an action that was followed by Mr Jones voluntarily removing himself from the General Medical Council register. In November last year, former patients were contacted by the hospital and offered further assessment.
An Independent Case Note Review published last month said no harm had been caused in 95% of the 2,396 cases considered over two years.
South African-born Mr Jones, who cannot be disciplined by the General Medical Council after voluntarily removing himself from the medical register, now runs a bed and breakfast with his wife on the outskirts of Truro.
In a statement to the Western Morning News, he said: "I have fully co-operated with the various reviews into my practice by the trust and I am pleased that these have now been completed.
"I would like to thank my colleagues and patients who have been so supportive.
"I cannot comment on any individual case because of my duty of patient confidentiality, but I would like to reiterate my concern and sympathy for any patient who has suffered a surgical complication or any harm while under my care."
Any negligence claims against the RCHT and other parts of the NHS are handled by the NHSLA, meaning pay-outs do not come directly from patient care.
In the year to March 2012, RCHT paid 'premiums' of over £6 million to the NHSLA, a rise of £600,000 from the previous year. The £175,000 bill which covers costs up to April this year of investigating Mr Jones' practice is a drop in the ocean compared to the RCHT's £309 million budget.
But chief executive Lezli Boswell, said it was money well spent.
She said the work of the Independent Case Note Review was "vital to fulfil our commitment to openness, transparency and candour".
"Clearly there is a financial cost to this work but we owed it to the women and their families to conduct a thorough and independent review into the work of former consultant Mr Rob Jones, and ensure they received the right treatment, support and redress.
"I want to repeat my thanks to the patients and staff who spoke out about their concerns and apologise unreservedly to all those affected.
"We have already implemented many of the recommendations from the independent reports published in February 2013 and we will continue to work with the women affected and the wider community to improve the services we provide."