Surgeon who worked for same private firm as jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson suspended over patient treatment concerns
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Ben Chapman
A doctor who worked for the same private healthcare firm as rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson has been suspended over concerns about patient treatment.
Mike Walsh had been working at Spire Healthcare's Leeds hospital until April 2018 when the company started investigating concerns raised about him.
Almost 50 of Mr Walsh's patients have now been recalled for a review of the treatment they received, according to Spire Healthcare.
One patient, Adrian Joynson, told ITV News he could not pick up his daughter for four years after Mr Walsh carried out a poor shoulder operation on him.
A former endurance athlete, Mr Joynson was told by Spires that a further two shoulder operations carried out on him by Mr Walsh were "unnecessary".
He told ITV News: "It's quite a simple operation he was meant to do, yet he didn't seem to fix it.
"Obviously I didn't question it too much because he's a qualified surgeon.
"I'd like to know why - was he just inept at what he was doing?
"Or is there another reason why?"
Another patient told ITV News he was left with nerve damage after being treated by Mr Walsh.
Scott Murray claims he never needed the operation in the first place and said he "thought I was going to lose my job" following the treatment.
"They're not just messing with the people, they're missing with the families as well."
Spires has not accepted liability in Mr Murray's case.
Mr Walsh's lawyers had no comment in response to the claims.
The details emerged after an inquiry found rogue breast surgeon Paterson, who had worked at the private healthcare firm in Birmingham, had performed unnecessary operations on patients for years.
He is now serving a 20-year jail sentence after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding patients with intent against 10 victims.
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In a statement, Spire said it had contacted the Royal College of Surgeons to assist with its investigation into Mr Walsh's case.
The firm said it had reviewed the notes of fewer than 200 patients, of which "fewer than 50" had been invited back for a follow-up appointment.
"Where we have identified concerns about the care a patient received, we have invited the patient to an appointment with an independent surgeon to review their treatment," a spokesperson for Spire Healthcare said.
"This is a complex case and the review is ongoing.
"After concerns were raised about Mr Walsh, an investigation was started in April 2018, and he was suspended immediately."
The company said its findings have also been shared with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the General Medical Council (GMC).
Mr Walsh, who is a specialist in trauma and orthopaedic surgery, is no longer working with Spire Healthcare, the company said.
"Spire reiterates its sincere apologies to those patients who have been affected by the treatment they received from Mr Walsh," the Spire Healthcare spokesman added.
The GMC confirmed that while Mr Walsh is still on the medical register he does not currently have a licence to practise, having held full registration until January 2019.
Earlier this month Health Secretary Matt Hancock vowed to introduce improvements in the wake of a damning inquiry into rogue breast surgeon Paterson.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell said it was handling the cases of nine people who it said Mr Walsh had carried out shoulder surgery on at either Spire Leeds Hospital or Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital between 2013 and 2018.
It said all nine - five women and four men of various ages - had been referred for private sector surgery via an NHS system designed to speed up waiting times.
Irwin Mitchell said the cases are among hundreds connected to surgeons carrying out procedures in private hospitals that it has been asked to investigate.
Samuel Hill, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing the nine people, said: "Once again serious fears regarding the care patients are receiving in private hospitals are in the spotlight.
"When patients elect for private care they expect to receive the same level of care as they would on the NHS.
"We now call for a major review of the private hospital system to ensure that patients' needs and safety are always the top priority."