More inquests into deaths of surgeon’s ex-patients

INQUESTS will be held into the deaths of at least 36 former patients of the disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson, and dozens more could also be included, a hearing has heard.

Judge Richard Foster said a multidisciplinary team of health professionals had so far reviewed 417 cases of Paterson’s former patients where breast cancer was listed as a cause of death on their death certificates.

Of those, 36 deaths have been confirmed as being subject of an inquest, a further 21 cases have been deemed likely to need an inquest after “preliminary” investigations, pending formal reports, with another 36 cases still to be reviewed.

Paterson was found guilty of 20 offences in 2017 relating to unnecessary and unapproved procedures on more than 1,000 breast cancer patients over 14 years and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.

At a pre-inquest review hearing held at Birmingham and Solihull Coroner’s Court yesterday, Judge Foster said: “Additionally, there have been reported to HM Coroner 130 cases where breast cancer is included as a cause of death in part two of the death certificate. The multi-disciplinary team are considering a selection of those so as to inform me as to whether it would proportionate to review all those cases.”

Judge Foster, who was nominated by the Lord Chief Justice to oversee the inquests, said that in some cases a patient’s death certificate could not be traced, meaning their cause of death was unknown, and so the judge urged any next of kin of Paterson’s former patients to come forward.

The coroner stated in April that further investigations into other cases will likely conclude in early 2024.

Paterson, who attended the hearing remotely from prison, was found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three of unlawful wounding, with his 15-year sentence increased to 20 years in 2018 by the Court of Appeal.

His 2017 Nottingham Crown Court trial heard how he carried out unapproved “cleavage-sparing” mastectomies on patients which left behind breast tissue, risking a return of cancer.

An independent inquiry found he carried out unnecessary operations in multiple hospitals on hundreds of patients, exaggerating or inventing cancer risks and claiming payments for more expensive procedures, and concerns were not acted on despite being raised by staff as early as 2003.