Ian Paterson recall of 11,000 patients

[smileylottie87]

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-birmingham-51369881

Patients were let down at every level and they are investigating 23 potential deaths caused by him.

This is exactly why you have to advocate for yourself and not blindingly trust health professionals. Not everyone is there to help you, even when they say they are. The amount of blind trust afforded to doctors ect because they have a white coat is astounding and we really should question and research things ourselves. My heart goes out to those poor people who were affected by this man and the collection of failings by the NHS.

@FrogsFrogs. Once again, mental health does NOT = exoneration or excusal. But feel free to ride roughshod over any nuance to drive your point home.

As a Psychiatrist, I have to say I don’t read anything in this (yet) that points to serious mental illness.

The majority of bad things in the world are done by bad people. Not ill people. Sadly, mentally ill people are more likely to be victims than perpetrators.

That’s not to say that there might not be interesting psychological reasons behind his actions...but that’s not the same thing as being ill/ having a mental disorder.

Why so aggressive fistful?

'I am certain it will be a form of mental illness - and probably a complex one at that.' is hardly a nuanced statement!

Just to say that Shaun Lintern has been dogged about pursuing stories relating to patient safety and some of the stories he's revealed (maternity units etc.) have been a complete heartbreak. He was formerly with the HSJ but now at The Independent and he's outstanding.

I'm a massive Shaun Lintern fan.

Journalism at its finest.

I read somewhere that some staff are being reported to their professional bodies and rightly so, I'm afraid it doesn't surprise me that he got away with it as it's so difficult to raise even minor concerns, especially if you are relatively junior- the safeguarding culture of 'think the unthinkable' just isn't there

Misogyny is such a routine backdrop to people's lives it's often barely even noticed, let alone challenged.

I wonder how this kind of thing can be avoided? Checks and balances. Good safeguarding. The voices of women some fucking how being given more weight?

I spent a lot of time in hosp as a child, in s specialist hospital. A long time ago but doubt dynamics have changed much. Surgeons were God, essentially. The positional and expert power that my surgeon weilded was massive.

It's not realistic to encourage / hope patients will ask questions etc. There are always vulnerable people who can't do that and in the face of 'God' most people will take the expert advice.

This is a massive failing across all the places this man worked.

That's absolutely terrifying. Those poor women - the psychological harm of a false cancer diagnosis, plus the surgery. It's unconscionable.

I'm glad he got 20 years. Means he will serve 10.

I wish I could believe much would change. Looking at the Bristol Infirmary heart scandal, and the numerous maternity scandals, I'm not so sure, sadly.

Did anyone see the woman interviewed from the Paterson survivors' group? She was very articulate, and I found her testimony very moving. I'll try and find her.

And what an absolute bloody disgrace that this horrific scandal - long-term, plain sight, fucking hugely unlawful - happened in front of medical staff, managers and regulators.

But they'll all get their NHS pensions, while a few deputy head roll.

Sarah Jane Downing

coventryobserver.co.uk/news/reaction-paterson-survivors-and-their-lawyers-speak-out-on-inquiry-findings/

@smileylottie87

I don't know what prompted the original enquiry but it is a matter of record that the GMC struck him off in 2012 but Spire Healthcare allowed him to continue operating on private patients. There is a class action by 350 Spire patients ongoing.

Spire takes NHS referrals, I've read?

Thank you @justcly from what I have now read it seems that he was suspended in 2012 and struck off in 2017 but I'm happily corrected if I've been misinformed. It seems that that patients were the ones to prompt the audit, not colleagues.

Why Spire continued to allow him to operate is irresponsible at a minimum and I would have thought illegal if he was suspended.

You’re just about never more vulnerable than when you’re in the care of medical professionals facing a cancer diagnosis. This is so frightening.

God complex + recklessness + money? Is that what it was?

@smileylottie87

No, you are correct. He was suspended in 2012. That's me pretending I don't need my glasses 🙄

Ha ha, at least you can blame it on the glasses, my brain just sets out to embarrass me most of the time!

I didn't know anything about this case before today, it has completely shocked me. I would like to know what his written statement said but it hasn't been released.

this documentary gives a good insight into what went on

Upsetting to hear (think I read it from the prosecutor barrister earlier) that many if his former colleagues refused to give evidence.

He continued to practise eight years after the first complaints.

The trouble with many independent hospitals is a lack of effective medical governance and accountability.
Consultants aren’t employed but admit their patients under practicing privileges. They have total ownership of the treatment of individual patients.
There is very little monitoring of clinical practice and outcomes. Most hospitals have a Medical Advisory Group but it’s just that - advisory and discusses policies, parking and facilities.
There is not usually a system of monitoring at all, as there is in NHS.
As they take increasing numbers of NHS patients under CCG contracts, they are required to report more. If they don’t take NHS they aren’t subject to Serious Incident Reporting Framework including reporting of Never Events. There is no obligation to have a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian ( although many now do),
The largest independent healthcare provider’s main selling point is that it’s the consultants first choice. They pander to consultants because it is the consultants who bring in the money.
It is a shocking case.

One of the patients said that he persuaded her to go private so she could have the surgery quicker.

I really don't understand how other staff didn't realise that some of these poor women didn't even have cancer? Would no one else be looking at the histology reports?

Another Shaun Lintern fan here. He's been particularly good at reporting maternity scandals.

But this case is horrifying. It says so much about the authority doctors have that colleagues who must have known what was going on - both in the NHS and the private sector - felt unable to stop him. How many other clinicians are getting away with this kind of behaviour?