NHS will face probe over rogue surgeon

JEREMY Hunt will launch a major inquiry into why the NHS failed to stop a rogue breast cancer surgeon maiming hundreds of women.

The Health Secretary wants to establish how Glasgow-born Ian Paterson was allowed to carry out botched operations for 15 years.

Paterson, 59, who was said to have a ‘God complex’, was convicted last week of harming ten patients he conned into having surgery. Lawyers believe he could have had more than 1,000 victims.

NHS bosses face questioning over why they ignored the concerns of whistleblowers and failed to carry out a thorough investigation.

Mr Hunt’s intervention is a huge victory for the Mail, which campaigned for all staff involved to be held fully to account. However, victims are dismayed that he has refused to hold a public inquiry.

Mr Hunt said: ‘The conviction of Ian Paterson, and recent disclosures about the seriousness and extent of his malpractice, are profoundly shocking. A highly qualified medical professional, with a duty of care for his patients, totally neglected that duty and instead performed unnecessary procedures on a huge number of women.

‘If returned to government [in June’s election], we will hold a comprehensive and focused inquiry to ensure that any lessons are learnt in the interests of ensuring patients are protected in future.’

Susan Everett, who was given a false cancer diagnosis, said the inquiry was ‘excellent news’.

But Barbara Lewis, 62, who has terminal breast cancer after undergoing a ‘cleavage sparing’ mastectomy said: ‘The victims and families will only get satisfaction if it’s out in the open. If its behind closed doors, it’s the old boys’ act again. We won’t get to the truth.’

Gillian Dallow, 54, who almost died after Paterson botched an exploratory operation 20 years ago, said it was ‘a half-hearted attempt by the Government to say, “Look, we are doing something” ’.

Kashmir Uppal, a solicitor for several of the victims, said: ‘While an independent inquiry is a step in the right direction, only a public inquiry will truly get to the bottom of Paterson’s conduct.’

Paterson, who faces a jail sentence, worked at hospitals run by the Heart of England Foundation Trust in Birmingham and at private hospitals in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield. He was suspended by the General Medical Council in 2012 for carrying out needless operations on hundreds of women.

He could have been struck off after almost killing Mrs Dallow. Instead he was allowed to reinvent himself as a breast cancer specialist. In 2002-03, two cancer experts raised concerns about Paterson to his boss but were not taken seriously.

The trust eventually launched a confidential inquiry in 2007 but failed to report Paterson to the General Medical Council.