Hunt orders inquiry into doctor over needless operations scandal
JEREMY HUNT has said an inquiry will be held into disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson, who is believed to have carried out needless operations on hundreds of patients.
Paterson – described as acting like he was God – lied to patients and exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer to convince them to go under the knife, possibly to improve his earnings.
He was convicted last week of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three of unlawful wounding against 10 patients after a sevenweek trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
A statement from the Health Secretary – issued by his spokesman, not the Department of Health, because of the upcoming General Election – said that if the Conservative government returned to power, it would shine a closer light on Paterson’s work to ensure lessons can be learnt.
But Linda Millband, of Thompsons Solicitors, representing more than 350 of Paterson’s private clients, said the issue should not be used as a “political football”.
The national lead lawyer of Thompsons Solicitors said: “We have long called for an investigation into Mr Paterson’s practices but any inquiry, however welcome, shouldn’t be used as a stick with which to beat the NHS.
“The Health Secretary has promised a comprehensive, private inquiry but we are in an election campaign and this very serious matter must not become a political football.
“The findings of any inquiry must be made public.”
One of the victims of Scottishborn Paterson looked like a “car crash victim” after undergoing an unnecessary mastectomy, while another had a “significant deformity in her visible cleavage area” after a pair of needless operations on her left breast.
The surgeon maintained all the operations were necessary but a jury agreed with the prosecution he carried out “operations for no medically justifiable reason”. Paterson, 59, of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, was released on bail ahead of sentencing.