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PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA breast surgeon who carried out unapproved mastectomies was a “nightmare” to work with, an inquest heard. <\/p>\n Consultant surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years in 2017 after being convicted of 20 counts of wounding.<\/p>\n More than 60 inquests have already been opened into the deaths of his former patients since July 2020. <\/p>\n Giving evidence on Wednesday, one of Paterson’s former colleagues and a consultant radiologist at Solihull Hospital, Dr Chris Fletcher, said the pair had a “frosty” relationship at times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Speaking at the inquest of Elaine Turbill, 63, the second of 62 to be heard over the next eight months, the doctor said they worked together between 1998 and 2011. <\/p>\n Ms Turbill was subjected to a so-called cleavage-sparing mastectomy by Paterson<\/a>, where part of the breast is left in place but the risk of cancer returning was increased.<\/p>\n She later died of metastatic cancer. <\/p>\n Dr Fletcher told Birmingham and Solihull Coroners Court that reviewing mammograms from Paterson’s patients made up at least “90%” of his workload at both the NHS and also privately at Spire hospitals.<\/p>\n He said their relationship was “complex” and “difficult” because of the way Paterson worked and he ended up making a complaint about him.<\/p>\n “He was a nightmare,” he said. <\/p>\n “He was quite aggressive and quite demanding in a way I had never come across before.”<\/p>\n He said multidisciplinary meetings between NHS colleagues to discuss the treatment of their patients were “always difficult”.<\/p>\n “[Paterson] always tried to run the show,” Dr Fletcher said.<\/p>\n “We had a period where he was flooding me with work and I was struggling to cope.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Their relationship deteriorated further after Dr Fletcher signed a letter, alongside other colleagues, raising concerns about Paterson.<\/p>\n The medical professional said he initially believed the jailed surgeon was just an “efficient and competent surgeon”.<\/p>\n But he started to become concerned with the way he was carrying out mastectomies when he discovered a tumour on a patient’s mammogram that Paterson had missed when operating on them.<\/p>\n “He had been arrogant and just done what he wanted to do and hadn’t looked at the mammogram,” he told the inquest.<\/p>\n “We were all a bit shell-shocked and embarrassed by that. <\/p>\n “Nobody ever flagged it as perhaps it should have been flagged.”<\/p>\n On 21 October, Judge Richard Foster ordered Paterson to give evidence at all 62 inquests after his legal team applied to have a witness summons instructing him to give evidence revoked.<\/p>\n Paterson agreed to give evidence remotely from prison at Mrs Turbill’s inquest on Thursday.<\/p>\n The first inquest, considering the death of Chloe Nikitas, 43, was adjourned on 24 October<\/a> to a date yet to be set.<\/p>\n Mrs Turbill’s inquest continues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\nRising concerns after tumour found<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n