Ian Paterson: Six more inquests open into disgraced Birmingham surgeon's patients

Ian Paterson was described as "psychopathic" and likened to killer doctor Harold Shipman by a cancer surgeon who gave evidence in Paterson's trial

A further six inquests have been opened into the deaths of former patients of a disgraced breast surgeon.

Ian Paterson was found to have carried out unnecessary and unapproved procedures on more than 1,000 breast cancer patients over 14 years.

The consultant surgeon worked at hospitals in Birmingham between 1997 and 2011.

He is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being sentenced in 2017.

Paterson was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding.

He had worked at the Spire Parkway Hospital and Spire Little Aston Hospital in Birmingham between 1997 and 2011, as well as NHS hospitals run by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.

While at Solihull Hospital, Paterson was responsible for more than 4,000 patients.

Ian Paterson had more than 4,000 patients during his time at Solihull Hospital

The six new inquests opened at Birmingham and Solihull Coroner's Court on Wednesday are in addition to 48 inquests that had already been opened since July 2020.

The coroner, judge Richard Foster, who has been appointed to conduct investigations into a number of deaths of Paterson's former patients where their deaths may have been "unnatural", adjourned each inquest until final hearings start on 7 October.

Mr Foster said it was his duty to ensure "all the facts are fully, fairly and fearlessly investigated" in each case.

The six women who had inquests opened on Wednesday had their details confirmed by Ben Appleton, a coroner's officer. They are:

• Linda Cotterill, 55, who died on 4 March 2007 at Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham

• Sylvia Atterbury, 67, a retired shop manager who died on 17 May 2014 at her home in Birmingham

• Janet Law, 50, a retired midwife who died on 19 December 2007 at home in Solihull

• Catherine Harrow, 88, a retired medical administrator who died on 15 July 2011 at home in Birmingham

• Clair Hawthorne, 51, a retired teacher who died on 26 January 2016 at Solihull Hospital

• Marjorie Taylor, 81, who died on 2 March 2010 at a nursing home in Solihull

Mr Foster said coroner's officers had been carrying out extensive inquiries but had not been able to trace any next of kin for Mrs Taylor, adding: "We would welcome any publicity to encourage any next of kin to come forward and contact my legal team."

Paterson carried out "cleavage-sparing" mastectomies on patients, which left behind breast tissue and risked a return of cancer.

An independent inquiry ruled that he had carried out hundreds of unnecessary operations on hundreds of patients, exaggerating or inventing cancer risks.

The inquiry report also found that despite concerns being raised as early as 2003, Paterson was free to perform the harmful surgeries due to a "culture of avoidance and denial".