Demands for inquiry as health fat cats stay silent

THREE health officials criticised for their handling of rogue surgeon Ian Paterson remained silent last night.

Each has previously declined to comment on the case – and they remained tight-lipped after he was jailed for 15 years.

Victims believe a public inquiry should be set up to examine how the NHS and private healthcare provider Spire responded to growing concerns about Paterson over a 15-year period. Despite repeated attempts to contact them for a response, they have yet to issue statements apologising for any mistakes in the case.

Those facing difficult questions include Mark Goldman, who retired as chief executive of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (Heft) three months before news broke that Paterson’s patients were being recalled. A damning report later found hundreds of women had been left with an increased cancer risk after ‘weak and secretive’ managers hid Paterson’s failings, and accused Mr Goldman of allowing him to continue after concerns were raised. He could not be reached for comment last night.

Ian Cunliffe, then medical director at Heft, tried to block a full recall of Paterson’s patients despite concerns that their health was at risk. He favoured a ‘limited recall’ and even examined whether it would be eth- ical to fail to tell patients that they had been given an irregular therapy.

Mr Cunliffe is still employed by Heft in a different role. He, too, could not be reached for comment last night.

As a Spire hospital director, Ruth Paulin was told in 2007 the NHS was investigating Paterson’s risky ‘cleavage-sparing mastectomies’. She told him to stop them, but did not make arrangements to ensure he had. She was also unavailable for comment.