Rogue breast surgeon inquiry put off until after election

More than 900 women may have been victims of rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson sparking fears about patient safety in private hospitals

Breast surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for wounding with intent in 2017. (PA)

An independent inquiry into the safety of private hospitals following the jailing of rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson has been delayed, The Independent has learned.

As many as 1,000 victims of Paterson, who was jailed in 2017, will have to wait until early next year to learn what the inquiry will recommend.

Paterson was a consultant breast surgeon working at the Heart of England Foundation Trust and the Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston private hospitals in the West Midlands.

He was jailed for 15 years after being convicted of 13 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding.

He carried out unnecessary operations on women, but concerns about his practice were not initially shared properly between the NHS and Spire – and even when they were, insufficient action was taken.

It is thought more 900 women may have been victims of Paterson and the case sparked fears about wider patient safety issues in private hospitals.

In 2018, the government commissioned an inquiry chaired by Reverend Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, to examine the Paterson case and to make recommendations on “the safety and quality of care provided nationally to all patients.”

It was due to report its findings by the end of the year.

Sarah Jane Downing, who runs a support group for more than 100 of Paterson’s private patients, told The Independent many of the families would be disappointed but she said delaying publication was the right thing to do.

“The inquiry team has worked very hard to help us all feel heard which many felt they weren’t previously,” she said.

“But it is the right thing to delay if it means the findings and recommendations get the attention they need.”

She said many of Paterson’s victims wanted to make sure the culture in the private hospital sector was changed “for the sake of protecting other people in the sector and to make sure the same terrible things aren’t done to other people”.

A spokesperson for the Paterson inquiry said: “The inquiry intended to publish its report before the end of 2019 and was on track to do so. However, since a general election has been announced, and Parliament must be sitting for us to report, we are postponing publication until the New Year.”