Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Jackie Doyle-Price) has made the following statement:

On 7 December 2017, Philip Dunne MP, Minister of State for Health, announced an independent, non-statutory Inquiry, under the Chairmanship of The Right Reverend Graham James, Lord Bishop of Norwich into the circumstances and practices surrounding the former breast surgeon Ian Paterson, who was convicted in April 2017 of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding.

Since then the Bishop has worked with affected families to ensure their views are taken into account in shaping the terms of reference.

Today, I can announce the terms of reference for the Inquiry, which will report in summer 2019.

The remit of the independent, non-statutory Paterson inquiry will be to:

Examine and seek to learn from what happened to former patients of Ian Paterson, both in the independent sector and in the NHS informed by their experiences and concerns; and

Review the circumstances and practices surrounding Ian Paterson as a case study, and consider other past and current practices, so as to draw conclusions in relation to the safety and quality of care provided nationally to all patients.

The Inquiry will consider issues raised in previous relevant reports about Ian Paterson, but does not intend to revisit the evidence that led to his conviction.

A central objective of the Inquiry is to afford former patients of Ian Paterson and their families an opportunity to tell of their experiences and to be heard.

The Inquiry will aim to report its conclusions and recommendations by summer 2019. The Inquiry will publish its report and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will make arrangements for its presentation to Parliament.

This announcement marks the beginning of the important work of the Inquiry in listening to the experiences of former patients and gathering other evidence to ensure that the independent healthcare sector and the NHS are able to learn the lessons from Ian Paterson’s appalling malpractice that has taken or damaged the lives of so many people who invested their trust in him.

I attach a copy of the Terms of Reference.

Answering body: Department of Health

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health has made the following written statement:

Ian Paterson, a consultant breast surgeon who was employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT), and had practising privileges in the independent sector at Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston, was found guilty in April this year of 17 counts of wounding with intent. He was sentenced to jail for 20 years.

The Government is appalled by the actions of Ian Paterson and the harm that has affected a significant number of patients. The disclosures about the seriousness and extent of his malpractice are deeply and profoundly shocking.

The Government committed to ensuring lessons were learnt in the interest of patient protection and safety, both in the independent sector and the NHS.

Today, I am announcing the establishment of an independent, Non-Statutory Inquiry into the circumstances and practices surrounding Ian Paterson that have affected so many patients. I have asked The Right Revd Graham James, Bishop of Norwich to chair the Inquiry.

The Inquiry should be informed by the victims of Paterson and families’ concerns, and seek to learn from their experience. Therefore, the Inquiry will look at the local care and treatment for private patients in the Solihull area, and review current and past practices to establish if safeguards for patients treated at independent healthcare providers have fallen short of the standards the public has a right to expect. This will help to inform the broader lessons applicable to care provided by the independent healthcare sector across the country.

The Inquiry is likely to consider issues including, but not limited to:

the responsibility for the quality of care in the independent sector; appraisal, revalidation and multi-disciplinary working in the independent sector

information sharing, reporting of activity and raising concerns between the independent sector and the NHS;

and the role of insurers of independent sector providers (including sharing of data), and arrangements for medical indemnity cover for clinicians in the independent sector.

The Inquiry will also draw on issues raised in previous relevant reports about Paterson.

It is not intended to revisit the evidence that we already have about Paterson and that led to his conviction.

The terms of reference and other arrangements relating to the inquiry will be published in due course after a period of engagement.

The Inquiry will be formally established from January 2018 and will report in summer 2019.

I am confident that Bishop Graham will oversee a thorough and independent non-statutory inquiry and deliver his recommendations swiftly.