NHS doctor raised concerns about surgeon Ian Paterson seven years before his suspension
An NHS doctor who tried to stop the rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson has described how he raised concerns about the safety of his patients in 2003, more than seven years before Paterson was finally suspended.
Inquest hearings into the deaths of 62 women, who died of breast cancer, have heard evidence from a former colleague of the rogue surgeon Ian Paterson.
Dr Andrew Stockdale, 70, a retired oncologist, first raised concerns about Paterson in 2003 when he believed the surgeon was carrying out incomplete mastectomies on patients who were then being referred to him for chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.
He described his contact with Paterson at multi-disciplinary team meetings as “a particularly challenging environment.”
He said the meetings were held to discuss the treatment plans of up to 40 patients during a weekly, one-hour-long meeting.
Dr Stockdale told the Coroner: "Mr Paterson was a forthright individual who held firm views. It was not an environment for a particularly balanced discussion."
Jonathan Jones KC, Counsel to the Inquest, also asked Dr Stockdale about evidence he had previously given to the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Ian Kennedy Report (2013).
Dr Stockdale said a mastectomy should be a one-time operation but explained that he was seeing patients who had multiple surgeries with Paterson.
He told the coroner that not removing all of the breast tissue gave an increased risk of the cancer returning.
Dr Stockdale told the court: "I am not a surgeon. But I recognised that after a mastectomy you would expect the chest wall would be flat.”
He said he would not have expected any mastectomy patients to fit into a bra.
But it was obvious to him that, for some women, further surgery was possible and therefore he was required to refer the patients back to Paterson for further surgery.
Dr Stockdale spoke exclusively to ITV in a Tonight Special about the scandal in December 2018.
Paterson was jailed in 2017 for wounding nine women and one man he treated between 1997 and 2011.
He convinced them to undergo operations by inventing or exaggerating the risks of tumours to earn extra money and maintain a successful reputation.
Some women had mastectomies who did not even have breast cancer.
An inquiry, published in 2020, concluded that Paterson, who was employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and practised in the independent sector at Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston, was also carrying out incomplete mastectomies at hospitals where he worked that left patients at risk of cancer returning.
They have become known as “cleavage-sparing” mastectomies.
Bishop Graham James, who authored the inquiry in 2020, said all 11,000 patients should be recalled and have their care reviewed.
Information was passed from the inquiry to the coroner, His Honour Richard Foster, who is now investigating whether there is any evidence to suspect that any of the former patients of Paterson died an unnatural death as a result of his actions. The first inquests were opened in July 2020, with the hearings now resuming in October 2024.
On Monday, the coroner read out the 62 names of women at the centre of these inquests who all died of breast cancer.
He warned more inquests could still be opened.
So far, 565 deaths have been reviewed - 20 cases are still outstanding and a further 15-20 are awaiting further investigations.
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The coroner dismissed an application from the jailed breast surgeon for access to public funding for his legal representation during the hearings which are expected to last until 2026.
Paterson has had three previous applications for legal aid refused. Paterson also requested a 28-day adjournment which was denied by the coroner.
The second phase of the inquests will look into systemic issues including any failings in the recruitment and supervision of Paterson, any systemic failing by the hospital management and corporate governance in addressing concerns raised about Ian Paterson, and any failures by the relevant regulatory agencies.
The coroner will start hearing evidence about each patient from next week. The final conclusions from the coroner will be published in 2026.
On Thursday, Paterson, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, is due to give evidence.
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