Patient not given proper mastectomy, inquest told

Phyllis Colfer, 67, died of carcinomatosis and breast cancer in 2002

A patient of jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson did not have a proper mastectomy, an inquest has heard.

Former traffic warden Phyllis Colfer, 67, died of carcinomatosis and breast cancer at a nursing home in Solihull on 21 August 2002.

Expert witnesses Prof Nigel Bundred and Rick Linforth told Birmingham and Solihull Coroner's Court they agreed with suggestions Paterson carried out a "partial" mastectomy – a surgical operation to remove one or both breasts – on Mrs Colfer in March 2000.

Paterson, who appeared via a video link from jail, said it was "ridiculous" to suggest she only had a partial mastectomy.

Prof Bundred said: "A mastectomy is a mastectomy. You take all the breast tissue away."

He added: "You're meant to take the whole breast away. That's what a mastectomy is."

Paterson - a former employee of Heart of England NHS Trust who also worked at Spire Little Aston – previously said Mrs Colfer was referred to him in November 1999.

He did not do an ultrasound scan and he removed a small skin lesion in January 2000.

In February, a 1.6cm cancerous tumour was found in her breast and in March she had a mastectomy.

Phyllis Colfer was referred to Paterson in November 1999

The court previously heard an oncologist, Dr Andrew Stockdale, suggested Paterson had carried out a partial mastectomy.

However, Paterson denied this and said no breast tissue had been left behind.

During Thursday's hearing, Prof Bundred said Mrs Colfer should have had more tests, including an ultrasound and a punch biopsy in November.

He said this would have allowed "speedier treatment" and she could potentially have had a mastectomy by early January, instead of in March.

The inquest also heard that it took Paterson 40 minutes to do Mrs Colfer's mastectomy, which Mr Linforth said was "very fast".

Prof Bundred and Mr Linforth said that, in Mrs Colfer's case, they would have expected the operation to take an hour and a half.

Paterson was jailed for 15 years, later extended to 20 years, in 2017

Paterson was jailed for 15 years, later extended to 20 years, in 2017 after being convicted of wounding patients with botched and unnecessary operations.

Inquests have been looking into the cases of more than 60 of Paterson's former patients to determine whether they died an unnatural death as a result of his actions.

The majority of his patients lived in Birmingham, Warwickshire and Staffordshire.

The inquest continues.