Ian Paterson: Solihull woman told operations were unnecessary

A woman said she had been amazed to discover 15 years after breast surgery that it had been unnecessary.

Rogue surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years in 2017 for 17 counts of wounding with intent.

However, the trial heard he treated thousands of women during his career and healthcare providers have been attempting to trace former patients.

One of them, Elizabeth Webb, said she was still suffering problems years after three lumps were removed.

"To actually be wounded by someone who just did not really have a care, he obviously thought he was some sort of god," the 70-year-old from Solihull said.

In September 2017, more than 750 patients treated by Paterson received compensation payouts from a £37m fund.

Mrs Webb said she still suffered a wound infection which caused problems and believed she should get compensation as well.

A year ago, an independent inquiry led by the Right Reverend Graham James, former Bishop of Norwich, recommended that all of Paterson's patients should be recalled and offered ongoing care if needed.

Paterson was employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT), and at the independent Spire Parkway, Solihull, and Spire Little Aston in Birmingham, with more than 11,000 patients.

Mrs Webb said she had been phoned by Spire Healthcare in January after first approaching the firm and a follow-up was arranged with a consultant.

"They went through all my records to tell me that I did not need any of the operations," she said. "I am just flabbergasted that he could get away with it."

Spire wrote to 5,500 former patients in December, but campaigner Deborah Douglas, who also underwent "needless" surgery while in Paterson's care, said only a few hundred had so far come forward.

The firm said it was still early days and was continuing to try to trace every patient.

HEFT's successor, University Hospitals Birmingham, said it had identified 15 more potentially avoidable operations.

Ms Douglas said she was also concerned that, exactly a year after the independent inquiry made 15 recommendations for change, 12 had yet to be taken on by the government.

With the coronavirus pandemic dominating the past few months, she said she was "very worried" the report was not being addressed.

Health Minister Nadine Dorries said: "We will be responding to the inquiry as soon as we can and we are working closely with the NHS and independent sector to agree action and implement changes."

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