Disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson has refused to give evidence at the inquests into the deaths of a further 62 of his former patients.
Paterson used a technique he called a ‘cleavage sparing mastectomy’ which did not remove all the breast tissue, leaving patients at risk of their cancer returning.
Clinical negligence lawyer Kashmir Uppal is representing the family of Cathy Coyne, who died of breast cancer 14 years ago. Cathy’s husband Stuart received a letter out of the blue from the coroner informing him that an investigation was being opened to understand whether Ian Paterson’s treatment had led to the deaths of some of his patients.
Kashmir believes that the new inquests could lead to further criminal charges against Ian Paterson or the hospitals (formerly Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and private hospitals in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield) where he practiced. She said: “If the coroner returns verdicts of unlawful killings they could lead to further investigations from a criminal perspective. Whether that is gross negligence manslaughter or corporate manslaughter, there is the possibility of further charges being brought.”
A pre-inquest hearing in Birmingham on 7th October heard that Paterson, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for carrying out unnecessary and unapproved surgeries on 10 patients, would not take part for health reasons, and because of a lack of legal representation and a lack of facilities to prepare. However, Paterson has since secured legal representation but is seeking to adjourn the inquests to give his legal team time to prepare.
The coroner, Judge Richard Foster, has pledged to use all available powers to ensure Paterson attends the hearings. The inquests are set to investigate the deaths of patients who may have suffered due to Paterson’s rogue medical practices.
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