The government will launch an independent national inquiry into the actions of the rogue surgeon Ian Paterson, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail in August after carrying out needless surgery on patients who were left traumatised and scarred.
The inquiry will begin in January and report in the summer of 2019, and will be chaired by the Right Rev Graham James, the bishop of Norwich.
Paterson, a consultant breast surgeon at the Heart of England NHS foundation trust (HEFT) who practised privately at Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston, was found guilty in April of 17 counts of wounding patients with intent.
The NHS has paid out almost £10m in compensation to more than 250 patients, and Spire healthcare agreed in September to settle a further 750 cases.
The government said the scope of the investigation would include the independent sector, and it would examine whether the Care Quality Commission’s inspection regime needed to be strengthened.…read more
