Breast surgeon Ian Paterson found guilty of wounding patients

A breast surgeon has been convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court, after being accused of carrying out a series of unnecessary operations.

Ian Paterson was a consultant general surgeon working in breast surgery at the top of his profession.

He qualified in 1981 and was working at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham. He also practiced privately at two Spire Healthcare hospitals in Solihull and Little Aston.

Paterson, 59, was well-liked and trusted by his patients they described him as having an “excellent bedside manner” and he was extremely experienced in his field.

He told them that they had cancer – or were at risk of it – when they didn’t and performed operations they did not need.

The surgeon had maintained all the operations were necessary.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court found that Paterson had carried out “extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason”.

DC Caroline Marsh from West Midlands Police referred to Patterson as a ‘butcher’.

Throughout the case the jury heard stories from patients who were treated by Ian Paterson at Spire Hospital in Little Aston and Solihull.

Ian Paterson will be sentenced next month.

Read more: http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2017-04-28/breast-surgeon-found-guilty-of-wounding-patients/