Inquest Concludes Patient Not Operated On by Ian Paterson

An inquest has concluded that a kitchen assistant, who died five years after undergoing a mastectomy, was not operated on by rogue surgeon Ian Paterson and died of natural causes. Christine Gould, from Solihull, died at the age of 56 in May 2003, following a recurrence of breast cancer that had spread to her brain. Concerns had emerged that her mastectomy may have been performed by Paterson, who was convicted in 2017 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for wounding patients. The Birmingham and Solihull Coroners Court commenced a series of inquest hearings last month, pertaining to 62 of Paterson’s former patients. Paterson held employment with the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham and also practised within the independent sector at Spire Parkway in Solihull and Spire Little Aston, situated near Sutton Coldfield. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) of experts, appointed to assist the coroners’ court with the inquests, initially raised concerns that, based on available medical records, Mrs Gould had not undergone chemotherapy after her 1998 mastectomy. However, NHS England subsequently provided further records that indicated she did receive appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Professor Nigel Bundred, one of the MDT experts, also informed the inquest that Mrs Gould’s mastectomy was likely performed by John Taylor, another breast surgeon at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, and not Paterson, who had only recently started working there at the time. He further stated that the operation note from Mrs Gould’s mastectomy was not available. Professor Bundred stated his belief that Mrs Gould’s care was “excellent” and that the treatment she received was appropriate. Coroner Richard Foster stated he was satisfied that Mrs Gould’s cause of death was metastatic breast cancer and that she died of natural causes. The sixth of the 62 inquests is anticipated to begin on Tuesday. BBC Birmingham content can be accessed via BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.