Spire patient recall
Paterson Inquiry · Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson · Issued 4 February 2020 · Addressed to: Spire Healthcare
Government responseDepartment of Health and Social Care: Accepted (Dec 2021)
DeliveryDHSC and NHS England say in progress (Feb 2026)Spire Healthcare says in progress (Jan 2025)DHSC states no delivery position (May 2024)Department of Health and Social Care says in progress (Mar 2021)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
We recommend that Spire should check that all patients of Paterson have been recalled, and to communicate with any who have not been seen, and that they should check that they have been given an ongoing treatment plan in the same way that has been provided for patients in the NHS.
Paterson Inquiry, Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson · 4 Feb 2020 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry asked Spire Healthcare to recall Ian Paterson's patients and provide treatment plans. In commentary of September 2024, published in February 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England reported that the provider had finished reviewing all known living patients (DHSC and NHS England, Feb 2026). The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team found in February 2026 that the provider had contacted all known living patients by December 2020 and reviewed nearly all affected patients by its 12-month update (The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team, Feb 2026). In the same commentary of September 2024, published in February 2026, the department and NHS England noted that the helpline remains open, reviews of deceased patients continue, and legacy computer systems are still being checked to contact any omitted patients (DHSC and NHS England, Feb 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 12 Oct 2026.
Government response
●Department of Health and Social Care · Accepted · 16 Dec 2021
Accept
By December 2020, Spire had proactively contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson to check that their care had been fully reviewed, and that they were getting any ongoing support and treatment that they needed. Spire have now reviewed the care of over two-thirds of the patients concerned.
Spire have prioritised the review of patients according to clinical need, with the most likely in need of new intervention being reviewed first. We have asked Spire to provide DHSC with an update on progress in 12 months’ time.
We accept this recommendation in full, and we are pleased that Spire have proactively contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson and are making progress on the reviews of patients’ cases.
Extract from: Government response to the independent inquiry report into the issues raised by former surgeon Ian Paterson
Delivery
●DHSC and NHS England say in progress · 27 Feb 2026
Spire Healthcare accepted this recommendation in full and contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson. This followed exhaustive efforts to identify all living patients, some of whom were treated many decades ago.
Spire Healthcare has now completed a comprehensive review of all these patients; however, its helpline remains open to support any patient who feels they may have been missed or who would like a further review of the treatment they received.
It is now reviewing the care provided by Paterson to patients who are now deceased and has completed more than three quarters of its reviews of these patients.
Spire Healthcare has sought to conduct this recall in a sensitive and compassionate way. It has provided support to those patients going through the review process, and where appropriate, has offered counselling. In addition, it has engaged with patient support groups throughout the process.
To ensure that this exercise has not omitted any patients of Paterson, Spire continues to interrogate the complex legacy IT systems that pre-dated Spire’s formation and takeover of BUPA hospitals. Spire will continue to contact any patients they identify as a result of this.
●Spire Healthcare says in progress · 7 Jan 2025
In 2020, we commenced a comprehensive review of all patients who were treated by Ian Paterson offering them guidance and support in respect of their care.
We have now completed the review of all living patients, and a review of deceased patients’ care is on-going.
●DHSC states no delivery position · 15 May 2024
Action 5.1
By August 2020, UHB contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson.
By end June 2021, UHB had ensured that all known former patients had their care reviewed and that any outstanding concerns were addressed in a way that was determined by the patient.
UHB continues to support any relatives of the deceased who make contact by providing a detailed review/report of the care their loved one received. Relatives are offered the chance to discuss the findings in a meeting (some have taken up this offer).
Action 5.2
Spire reports that the reviews of nearly all the patients contacted since the Paterson inquiry report have been completed. To ensure that this exercise has not omitted any patients of Paterson, Spire continues to interrogate the complex legacy IT systems that pre-dated Spire’s formation and takeover of Bupa hospitals. Spire will continue to contact any patients they identify as a result of this.
From: The Thirlwall Inquiry: Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024), The Department of Health and Social Care
●Department of Health and Social Care says in progress · 23 Mar 2021
By December 2020 Spire Healthcare had contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson for whom they had addresses (approximately 5,500). Spire Healthcare is currently ensuring that those patients’ care has been fully reviewed, that the outcome of the reviews has been fully communicated to them and that, if required, they are getting the support and care that they needed. Additionally, several hundred people have contacted Spire as a result of the letters sent out last year. A proportion of these are having their care reviewed by an independent consultant surgeon and some have been referred for counselling, follow up support or, where clinically appropriate, treatment. Spire Healthcare will continue their review of patients’ care during 2021.
What other bodies have found
●Thirlwall Inquiry legal team · 27 Feb 2026
Action 5.2:
Accepted in full.
By December 2020, Spire had proactively contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson to check that their care had been fully reviewed, and that they were getting any ongoing support and treatment that they needed. Spire had reviewed the care of over two-thirds of the patients concerned. As of the 12-month implementation update, Spire had reviewed nearly all the patients affected.
Earlier findings (1)
●Thirlwall Inquiry legal team · 15 May 2024
Action 5.1:
Accepted in full. By August 2020, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust had contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson. By the end of June 2021, the trust had ensured that all known former patients had had their care reviewed and that any outstanding concerns were addressed in a way that was determined by the patient.
Action 5.2: Accepted in full.
By December 2020, Spire had proactively contacted all known living patients of Ian Paterson to check that their care had been fully reviewed, and that they were getting any ongoing support and treatment that they needed. Spire had reviewed the care of over two-thirds of the patients concerned. As of the 12-month implementation update, Spire had reviewed nearly all the patients affected.
How this page is built
The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.