Disgraced Breast Surgeon Jailed For 15 years

[Arthur Little]

:yeahthat:'s reckoned to be about the average timespan for someone sentenced to 'Life Imprisonment' in the UK.

Anyway ... :anerikke: ... I digress!

Apparently, even though Ian Paterson has been convicted of carrying out unnecessary operations on ten people - nine women and one man - this number does not reflect hundreds of other victims who claim to have been disfigured and/or scarred for life by this surgeon's actions. Indeed, many of the women affected, say they're the ones who've have been given an 'actual life sentence', in the sense that they will have to live the rest of their lives with the consequences of Paterson's mutilisation of their bodies.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-40108558 ... :ReadIt:

[Arthur Little]

Apparently, even though Ian Paterson has been convicted of carrying out unnecessary operations on ten people - nine women and one man - this number does not reflect hundreds of other victims who claim to have been disfigured and/or scarred for life by this surgeon's actions.

Mark you, :icon_rolleyes: ... at one stage, there'd been so much publicity given to this ongoing saga that it very soon became increasingly difficult to keep abreast of developments.

[Ako Si Jamie]

What a sick individual. :NoNo:

[Arthur Little]

What a sick individual. :NoNo:

Yes, :iagree:! It is completely beyond my comprehension how, :cwm25: ... and WHY, for so long, he managed to "get away" with it. :cwm23:

[Doc Alan]

It’s understandable that questions are asked about how this happened, and how the health service may prevent it happening again. This doctor seems to have deliberately conned people into having surgery they did not need, and in doing so convinced them that they were seriously ill and he was saving their lives.



Paterson was a rogue surgeon and a liar, who ultimately cheated patients out of the care they needed. Financial gain and inappropriate use of power are likely factors, made worse by him showing no remorse for the pain and suffering he inflicted over the years on his patients.



Both the General Medical Council (http://www.gmc-uk.org/news/30724.asp) and the Royal College of Surgeons (https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/press-releases/updated-ian-paterson-sentencing/?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=) ( click on links ) are concerned with setting standards, and have of course condemned his actions. He is a disgrace to the medical profession.



His practice went unchecked for so long because some of those in the health system - managers but also his colleagues - had their concerns, but failed to report them to the GMC. Patients’ concerns were also sometimes brushed aside.



There are now in the UK regular checks on a doctor’s competence and behaviour, to ensure their fitness to hold a licence. All patients with possible or proven breast cancer are discussed regularly at " multidisciplinary team " meetings, whereby surgeons, other medical specialists and nurses have to agree on treatments. Day in day out, surgeons and their colleagues in every hospital pull out the stops to treat patients and save lives.



The private sector does need to do more. It should report similar safety and quality data to the NHS. We don’t know enough about the outcomes of cancer patients being treated in this sector.


There have already been independent reports and recommendations. Action is needed to ensure future harm to patients is minimised. There’s no room for complacency.