Patient not operated on by Paterson, inquest finds

Ian Paterson is serving a 20-year prison sentence for wounding patients after being convicted in 2017

A kitchen assistant who died five years after having a mastectomy was not operated on by rogue surgeon Ian Paterson and died of natural causes, an inquest has concluded.

Christine Gould, from Solihull, died aged 56 in May 2003, after suffering a recurrence of breast cancer that had spread to her brain.

There were concerns that her mastectomy may have been carried out by Paterson, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for wounding patients after being convicted in 2017.

Birmingham and Solihull Coroners Court started a series of inquest hearings last month, concerning 62 of Paterson's former patients.

Paterson was employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham and practised in the independent sector at Spire Parkway in Solihull and Spire Little Aston near Sutton Coldfield.

A multidisciplinary team (MDT) of experts appointed to assist the coroners’ court with the inquests raised concerns that, based on available medical records, Mrs Gould had not undergone chemotherapy after her 1998 mastectomy.

However, NHS England provided further records that indicated she did have appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Professor Nigel Bundred, one of the MDT experts, also told the inquest that Mrs Gould's mastectomy was likely to have been carried out by John Taylor, another breast surgeon at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, and not Paterson, who had only recently started working there at the time.

He added that the operation note from Mrs Gould's mastectomy was not available.

Prof Bundred said he believed Mrs Gould's care was "excellent" and the treatment she received was appropriate.

Coroner Richard Foster said he was satisfied that Mrs Gould's cause of death was metastatic breast cancer and she died of natural causes.

The sixth of the 62 inquests is expected to start on Tuesday.