The surgeon had been under criminal investigation for a number of years following what were unnecessary or inappropriate surgical procedures he carried out at Spire Private Hospital and the Heart of England NHS Trust (HEFT) in the West Midlands between 1997 and 2011. The jury decided unanimously in most cases that the surgeon carried out ‘extensive, life-changing operations for no medically-justifiable reason’.
Kashmir Uppal, a specialist medical negligence solicitor, has been instrumental in highlighting the issues relating to Paterson’s practice since 2010, when she was first instructed to act on behalf of one of his former patients. She was also the lead solicitor in the Paterson claims before she joined Shoosmiths as a clinical negligence partner.
When Kashmir made a call for other women treated by Paterson to come forward, the size and scale of his malpractice became apparent, formal investigations at both HEFT and Spire were commenced leading to the Kennedy report and Verita review, and the criminal investigation commenced.
The clinical negligence team at Shoosmiths continues to advise his private patients, many of whom like Lesley Cuthbert elected for treatment at Spire Private Hospital rather than the NHS on Paterson’s advice. Kashmir Uppal said:
‘The verdict did at least start the process of closure for his victims and hopefully an appropriate sentence will be handed down. The claims of women who Paterson treated on the NHS have largely been settled because HEFT accept that he was their employee, he was acting negligently and was carrying out unnecessary and non-standard procedures. Those women can to some extent move on.’
Kashmir cautions however:
‘The claims for those women (and men) he treated in the private sector are still outstanding because Spire are saying Paterson was not their employee and therefore they are not liable for his acts or omissions.’
The cases brought by those treated privately by Paterson may well be finally resolved in October 2017.
Click here to listen to Lesley and Kashmir’s story.
Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. © Shoosmiths LLP 2024
