'I just want rogue surgeon Paterson to apologise'

Jacqueline Jones, who had two unnecessary surgeries at the hands of Ian Paterson, wants people to know the wide array of operations he carried out

A woman who had two unnecessary operations at the hands of jailed surgeon Ian Paterson - including for a hernia she never had - says all she wants is for him to say sorry to his patients.

Jacqueline Jones, 84, had three procedures by the rogue medic in the 1990s but found out more than 20 years later two of them were needless.

As inquests into 62 of his patients began, Mrs Jones, of Leamington Spa, said she had been "shouting at the television" for him to apologise.

She also said she feared there may be more patients who had hernias and other conditions misdiagnosed by Paterson.

“It can’t just be me,” Mrs Jones said, after finding out in 2021 he had routinely "excessively diagnosed" the rare type of hernia he said she had.

Paterson, who was jailed for 20 years in 2017, is known for carrying out unnecessary and dangerous breast operations.

Mrs Jones contacted the BBC because she was frustrated that the Birmingham medic was only being referred to in relation to breast cancer surgery, when she knew the scope of his misconduct went even further.

"I was sitting shouting at the TV going 'what about all the other ones, it's not just breast cancer'," she said.

Paterson was jailed for 20 years in 2017 after being convicted of 20 counts of wounding

Mrs Jones did also have breast cancer in the 1990s. Paterson operated on her at Spire Little Aston Hospital.

However, the following day, he told her he had not removed all the cancerous tissue and another procedure was needed.

"I had no scan, he hadn't checked me," she said.

"And of course at that time you just feel so awful about things, having had breast cancer, so the next day I did have an operation.

"And I never thought [it was unnecessary]. You don't think, you just accept what they're saying."

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'Excessively diagnosed' hernias

A few years later in 1998, Mrs Jones went to her GP for pain she was experiencing and the doctor suggested she go back to Paterson as he had operated on her before.

He said she had a femoral hernia and carried out an invasive operation.

Two decades later, during a mass trawl for his former patients, Spire Healthcare wrote to Mrs Jones to confirm that Paterson “excessively diagnosed” the rare type of hernia he told her she had and her operation - and the second breast procedure - were unnecessary.

She received £17,000 compensation for enduring the needless procedures.

"I've been such a positive person all my life, until I found out what had happened," she said.

"Then that really really threw me. I felt terrible."

She said she had always been nervous at having surgery, as her father died during an operation.

Mrs Jones said she also still experienced the pain that she was referred to Paterson for.

Mrs Jones says the impact of Paterson's surgeries has been "soul-destroying" and left her with depression

According to Slater and Gordon Lawyers, Paterson performed a number of substandard and unnecessary hernia repair procedures, with one patient having seven groin hernia procedures over a 20-year period.

Other negligent surgeries Paterson carried out included unnecessary colonoscopies, vascular surgery, such as unnecessary vein stripping procedures, and unnecessary chemotherapy.

Paterson was convicted of 20 counts of wounding and is most associated with his controversial "cleavage-sparing mastectomies", which meant cancerous breast tissue was left behind in many patients.

A spokesperson for Spire Healthcare said they had "contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson and reviewed their care – including cancer and non-cancer related treatments."

They added: "We have apologised to patients who did not receive an appropriate level of care when treated by Ian Paterson in our hospitals."

However, the apology Mrs Jones really wants is from Paterson himself.

She said: "[I've] shouted at the television, 'just say you're sorry, just do it, [for] all women who've gone through it, and some much worse than me."