Surgeon Paterson Described as Divisive by Former Colleague

A coroner has been informed that a breast surgeon, now disgraced, was perceived by his peers as a divisive figure prior to facing an investigation for performing unauthorized procedures. During an inquest examining the fatalities of numerous patients linked to Ian Paterson, a former associate of the medic, who is currently incarcerated, stated that the surgical operations he conducted carried oncological risks. Consultant surgeon Alan Jewkes, who retired in 2019, also noted that Paterson was considered challenging to collaborate with. Mr. Jewkes provided this testimony at the inquest for Christine Baker, the third individual among 62 of Paterson’s patients whose deaths are under scrutiny. Ms. Baker, originally from Stoke-on-Trent and a resident of Solihull, passed away in 2015 at the age of 59, a decade after following Paterson’s recommendation for a “skin-sparing” mastectomy. Last week, Paterson, while giving evidence to the inquest, dismissed as speculation assertions that he might not have fully excised Mrs. Baker’s tumour. Addressing Birmingham Coroner’s Court via a video-link, Mr. Jewkes clarified that he had never collaborated directly with Paterson. Nevertheless, he succeeded Paterson as a surgeon at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield in 1998, when Paterson transferred to Solihull Hospital. Mr. Jewkes stated, “He certainly was regarded as a very strong… to some extent a divisive character.” He added, “There was a strong personality clash between himself and the then clinical director for surgery – I think he found [Paterson’s] behaviour difficult.” Mr. Jewkes further elaborated, “He was not playing his part on the team. He was very much a loner – ploughing his own furrow if you like. He was certainly a difficult character.” Following an NHS merger in 2007, which integrated Good Hope and Solihull hospitals into the same health trust, Mr. Jewkes recounted becoming aware of rumors concerning Paterson shortly thereafter. In his medical testimony, Mr. Jewkes characterized Paterson’s self-professed method of leaving “thicker” fatty tissue to create the appearance of a cleavage as “risky.” He asserted, “It just goes against the principles of the procedure,” and added, “There is nothing in the surgical literature that would support that, that I am aware of.” Paterson was employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham and also worked in the private sector at Spire Parkway in Solihull and Spire Little Aston near Sutton Coldfield. He is presently serving a 20-year prison sentence for wounding, imposed after a trial in 2017. The inquests are ongoing.