Breast op surgeon dismay for woman

Rachel Butler was one of 450 healthy women on whom consultant Ian Paterson had carried out surgery they did not need.

She is now seeking compensation after his 28-year career in the NHS and private hospitals across the Midlands came to an abrupt end when he was suspended from practising medicine by the General Medical Council, the doctors' regulatory body.

Mrs Butler was distressed to learn that she would have to undergo breast surgery but told how she put her trust in her "lovely" surgeon, whom she felt would put the problem right swiftly and efficiently.

It was the first of three completely unnecessary operations he performed on the Staffordshire mother-of-two between 2005 and 2011.

Investigation

Mr Paterson, widely seen as charming and charismatic, had also performed unorthodox partial mastectomies on a further 700 women.

He now faces a disciplinary inquiry as well as a possible criminal investigation. Three months ago the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust set up its own review under Sir Ian Kennedy.

Birmingham-based lawyers Thompsons, which is acting on behalf of 317 patients formerly under Ian Paterson's care, has pressed Spire Healthcare, where he also practised, to launch similar plans.

Last Friday came the long-awaited announcement that Spire was setting up an independent review into his work.

Mrs Butler, of Levett Road, Whittington, near Lichfield, is among those pursuing a legal claim.

She was treated at Spire Little Aston hospital in Sutton Coldfield through her employer's health insurance scheme.

The 37-year-old, a team leader at Autosmart in Shenstone, said her six-year-ordeal caused problems with her bosses and left her physically and emotionally shattered. "I nearly lost my job because of the time I had to take off to undergo different procedures. In a sickness review at work it turned out I'd taken 15 days off to have or r ecover from breast surgery."

She was referred by her GP to the controversial surgeon after finding a lump on her left breast.

"At first he said it was just lumpy breast tissue that could be sorted out with starflower oil and evening primrose oil.

"But then he said a white lump on my nipple looked a bit sinister and would need to be checked.

"I trusted him. He was lovely, the loveliest person on earth. My husband came to every consultation, and he thought the same.It has since transpired that antibiotics would have sorted out the problem. I feel sad about all I've had to go through. I've got a big scar from the surgery and I still get pain from it."

Mrs Butler blames Spire for failing to properly monitor Ian Paterson.

Statement

"My days are filled with doctor's appointments, endless rounds of medication and the feeling that things are never quite going to be normal again."

In a statement, Spire Healthcare said: "We have commissioned a review to be carried out by the independent consultancy Verita which will be undertaking a patient listening exercise this summer and will be looking at the governance systems in place at the time to help ensure all possible lessons are learned."

The review is due to conclude before the end of the year.