In a recent hearing at the High Court, Mrs Justice Whipple, the presiding judge, has approved a compensation package for hundreds of private patients, including those treated at Spire Healthcare which will be contributing £27.2m towards the total compensation figure of £37m. The Heart of England NHS Trust and the disgraced surgeon’s insurers are contributing a further £10m, according to a BBC report.
In August, in response to concerns that his original sentence was too lenient, the Court increased Paterson’s sentence from 15 to 20 years to reflect the seriousness of his crime and the devastating effect on his victims.
At the High Court, Mrs Justice Whipple noted that this additional compensation would not alleviate the pain and distress visited on his patients, or the long-term effects they will suffer, but hoped that “the money will go some way "towards making their lives easier".
Convicted at Nottingham Crown Court in May, Paterson was found guilty of three counts of unlawful wounding and seventeen counts of wounding. At his trial, 10 of his patients gave evidence, representing a tiny proportion of the victims Paterson treated.
Jeanette Whyman, head of medical negligence at Wright Hassall, is representing a number of clients who were treated by Paterson.
She said: “This additional compensation is very welcome, as indeed, was the news last month that Ian Paterson’s sentence had been increased to 20 years. Nonetheless, he has, to all intents and purposes, destroyed the lives of hundreds of women, many of whom are still struggling to come to terms with what he did to them. Some of his victims were subjected to multiple, unnecessary operations causing untold physical and mental anguish.
“They will have to cope with the consequences of his actions for the rest of their lives.
“However, the fact that the compensation issue has now been settled will go some way towards helping these women achieve closure.”
We are representing a number of Paterson’s former patients: if you have any queries about the compensation package or, indeed, if you were treated by him but have not yet come forward, we are happy to advise you on your next steps.
