Disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson's victims to get £37m compensation
Around 750 victims of Ian Paterson - who carried out needless operations including mastectomies - will receive compensation.
Wednesday 27 September 2017 10:52, UK
A High Court judge has approved a £37m compensation plan for hundreds of victims of disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson.
Paterson carried out needless operations, including mastectomies, on his patients - possibly to boost his earnings.
Last month, his jail term was increased to 20 years after the Court of Appeal decided the original 15-year sentence imposed in May was "unduly lenient".
Around 750 patients will receive compensation.
The 59-year-old, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, who carried out the unnecessary procedures at both NHS and private hospitals, was convicted by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding against 10 private patients.
Mrs Justice Whipple expressed her "heartfelt" sympathy to those whose trust she said was "betrayed" by Paterson.
She said the "physical pain and mental anguish" of his victims "cannot be understated".
The judge added: "I pay tribute to their resilience in the face of such adversity."
She approved a settlement reached in civil damages claims brought on behalf of former private patients, formally ending litigation which was due to go to trial next month and last for a number of weeks.
Spire Healthcare, which runs private hospitals in the West Midlands where Paterson worked, will contribute £27.2m to the total.
A further £10m will be provided by Paterson's insurers and his former employers, Heart of England NHS Trust.
Before Paterson was jailed in May, statements from some of his private patients were read out, detailing the impact of his butchery on their lives.
One of them, Carole Johnson, described him as a "monster" and said she felt "violated and vulnerable" because of Paterson's actions.