Deaths of 650 patients treated by jailed breast surgeon Ian Peterson are being investigated

The deaths of 650 patients treated by a breast surgeon who performed 1,000 failed surgeries are under investigation.

Ian Paterson was convicted of 17 counts of intentional wounding and three counts of unlawful wounding in 2017 and is now serving a 20-year sentence.

An investigation found that over 14 years he performed unnecessary surgeries in NHS and private hospitals on more than 1,000 patients, exaggerating or fabricating cancer risks and demanding payment for more expensive procedures.

Medical experts are now searching the files of women under his care.

During his 2017 trial at Nottingham Crown Court, he learned how he performed unapproved ‘cleavage-sparing’ mastectomies on patients where breast tissue was left behind, with the risk of cancer recurrence.

He was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison, but the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 20 years.

The surgeon worked for the NHS and built up a practice in two private hospitals run by Spire Healthcare in Birmingham.

Some of Paterson’s patients underwent unnecessary chemotherapy, tests, and other procedures.

The times reported that 27 inquests have been opened as a result of cases where coroners “believe there are indications to suspect that some of those deaths may have been unnatural.”

The court ruled that there was “no medical justification” for many of the procedures conducted between 1997 and 2011 for financial gain.

The investigation will be led by Deputy Supreme Court Justice Richard Foster, who has experience in medical negligence cases.

According to the families affected by Paterson and sources close to the inquest, 650 deaths are under investigation.

An investigation has also identified hundreds of other patients who have had inappropriate or unnecessary surgeries and treatments.

One of Paterson’s victims, Marie Pinfield, wanted a double mastectomy to remove all of her breast tissue. Pictured: Marie Pinfield with sister Shirley Moroney

Victim Patricia Welch speaks outside Nottingham Crown Court after Ian Paterson’s 2017 conviction

Of the 1,206 mastectomy patients, 675 had died, according to a Heart of England NHS Trust report prepared in 2017 by breast surgeon Martin Lee.

The law says that the coroner must open an inquest into a death if there is reasonable cause to suspect that the death was due to something other than natural causes.

The report assumes that as many as 1,000 of Paterson’s private patients have died, but the cause of death is unknown.

Figures from Cancer Research UK show that female patients between the ages of 50 and 60 have a 90 percent survival rate when they develop breast cancer.

However, survival rates were less than 56 percent for Paterson’s patients.

One of Paterson’s victims, Marie Pinfield, wanted a double mastectomy to remove all of her breast tissue.

However, just two years later in 2008, Ms Pinfield died after cancer spread to her lungs.

An investigation found he performed unnecessary surgeries in NHS and private hospitals on over 1,000 patients over 14 years

Her sister, Shirley Moroney, recalls a sense of dread before Marie had to undergo surgery and advised her to write down her wishes.

After a report on Mrs Pinfield’s case by the consulting surgeon Professor Nigel Bundred, it transpired that she had been misled by Paterson for no good reason before her first operation.

Compensation was awarded to Mrs. Moroney and the families of those who had suffered negligent care.

Now, after the investigations opened, including Ms Pinfield’s, families are being told to expect more and given the chance to tell their stories.

Ms. Moroney hopes to give her testimony in a public inquest, but has forgiven Paterson.

She said, “I think as human beings there is no point in harboring evil thoughts about anyone. A lot of other people haven’t had their day in court. I hope the inquests give them that.’

A number of women agreed to the mastectomies because it would allow them to keep part of their breasts, but Paterson began performing cleavage-sparing mastectomies without their knowledge.

Victim Diane Green speaks outside Nottingham Crown Court after Ian Paterson’s 2017 conviction

At a seven-week trial in 2017, the jury learned that the father of three had performed “extensive, life-changing surgeries for no medically justifiable reason” on 10 patients between 1997 and 2011.

He changed medical records to justify the most lucrative surgery.

Judge Jeremy Baker concluded that he was driven by “self-aggrandizement and the material rewards it brought to your private practice.”

In a statement, Patricia Welch, 64, from Walsall, West Midlands, revealed that in 2001, when she was 48, she had a lump removed from her breast by Ian Paterson.

In her victim impact statement, she said, “Before it is told [the operations] were not necessary, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw someone who had avoided cancer by having a mastectomy.

“Now and probably for the rest of my life I see a victim of Ian Paterson, who took a part of me as a woman.”

While GP Rosemary Platt, 67, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, was referred to Paterson after finding a lump in her right breast in 1997. The surgeon then performed a series of unnecessary procedures, including a mastectomy.

In her victim impact statement read in court, Dr. Platt said the long-term effects of his actions were “painful, disfiguring scars” and that he betrayed her trust in fellow medical professionals.

Victim Judith Conduit (second from left) arrives with other victims at Nottingham Crown Court where Ian Paterson was sentenced

Spire Healthcare announced in a statement this week that it was cooperating with the coroner’s investigation.

The initial assessment of the patients focused on those who survived, but the teams are now going back to the notes of patients who have since died.

At least 1,000 private patients have filed negligence claims against Paterson.

Spire Healthcare recently identified a further 1,500 patients who were still eligible to make claims and there were also at least 200 claims from NHS patients.

In total, the damage cost Spire £50 million in damages, with the NHS paying more than £10 million.

Dr. Cathy Cale, the medical director, told The Times: ‘Spire has changed radically since 2011. We have worked tirelessly to review our culture, consultant management and standards to ensure that safety and quality are at the heart of everything we do. ‘

“We are deeply sorry for the great suffering and harm suffered by patients treated by Ian Paterson. While we cannot right the wrongs of the past, we are determined to do everything we can to support his victims.”