A rogue surgeon who left hundreds of patients disfigured and traumatised after carrying out needless operations has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Consultant surgeon Ian Stuart Paterson, 59, was convicted last month of 17 counts of wounding with intent, relating to nine women and one man. He was also convicted of three further wounding charges.
Jurors at the seven-week trial at Nottingham crown court decided the surgeon carried out “extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason” on the 10 patients between 1997 and 2011. The jury heard that Paterson regularly “miscoded” procedures, charging for more expensive treatment. He was accused of carrying out the often pointless surgery for “obscure motives”, which may have included a desire to earn extra money.
The NHS has been forced to pay out almost £10mn in compensation to more than 250 patients. But Paterson could have more than 1,000 additional victims, among them hundreds of private Spire Healthcare patients who may never be compensated for botched and unnecessary surgery. Since his conviction more than 100 former patients have come forward.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called Paterson’s actions “profoundly shocking” and promised to hold an inquiry into the actions of the disgraced surgeon if the party is returned to power.
Paterson lied to patients and exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer to convince them to go under his knife.
Judge Jeremy Baker had released the surgeon on conditional bail but warned the suspended doctor that he faced a custodial sentence. The maximum sentence for wounding with intent is life.
A number of Paterson’s former patients have died since being treated by him. For several years before the trial concerns were raised about his practice.
Struggling with her emotions, former patient Frances Perks told the jury Patterson had conned her into thinking she was high risk and that he had destroyed her life. “He’s a psychopath. Why would anyone in their right mind do operations to people knowing that they didn’t need them?” she said.
Former patients told the Guardian Paterson exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer and, in some cases, claimed payments for more expensive procedures than those he had carried out in order to dupe insurers, which Paterson denied.
Paterson was employed by the Heart of England NHS trust in 1998 despite having previously been suspended from Good Hope hospital in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. He also practised at Spire Healthcare hospitals in the Midlands over a 13-year period.
Following his conviction the Royal College of Surgeons called for a review of safety standards in the private sector, and said unexpected deaths and safety fears in private hospitals should be made more transparent.
The NHS has so far paid out around £18mn including £9.5mn in damages, settling 256 cases, with 25 outstanding. Hundreds of Paterson’s private patients may never see a penny after his insurance company, the Medical Defence Union, said its cover was “discretionary” and had been withdrawn.
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