Court approves £37m package for victims of rogue surgeon

VICTIMS of Ian Paterson, the rogue cancer surgeon, have called for a public inquiry into the regulation of private doctors as a High Court judge approved a £37million compensation package for those who suffered at his hands.

Paterson was jailed for 20 years after he was found guilty in April of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three further wounding charges.

His trial heard how he lied to his patients and exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer to convince them to go under his knife. He claimed payments for the expensive procedures.

Under a compensation plan agreed yesterday, Spire Healthcare, the hospital group where Paterson treated his private patients, will contribute £27.2 million to the fund. A further £10million is to be provided by Paterson’s insurers and his former employers, the Heart of England NHS Trust.

Approving the settlement, Mrs Justice Whipple expressed sympathy to those patients whose trust had been “betrayed” by Paterson.

Lawyers representing his victims renewed calls for a public inquiry into the scandal, saying tougher regulation of the private sector was needed.

Emma Doughty, a specialist medical negligence lawyer from Slater and Gordon, which represented more than 100 victims, said: “Paterson’s private patients have faced a five-year struggle to obtain the financial settlements they deserve and today they finally received confirmation that they have won their battle for justice.”

Hundreds of patients were treated by Paterson at Spire’s two West Midlands hospitals between 1993 and 2012.