The disgraced Altrincham surgeon Ian Paterson, who performed needless breast operations has had his prison sentence increased from fifteen to twenty years.
Explaining the decision to increase his jail term, one of the three Appeal Court judges – Lady Justice Hallett – told Paterson his victims had been, “left feeling violated and vulnerable”.
She described his treatment of patients as “brutal and sustained”.
“They have lost their trust in others, particularly some in the medical profession,” she said.
Fifty nine year old Scottish born Ian was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court at the end of April.
During a seven-week trial the jury heard harrowing evidence from 10 patients treated in the private sector between 1997 and 2011.
Paterson lied to his alleged victims, “exaggerating or quite simply inventing risk of cancer” then often claimed payments for more expensive procedures.
Before passing sentence, the court heard statements from some of his private patients detailing the impact of his surgery on their lives.
Paterson was suspended by the General Medical Council in 2012 after concerns were raised, leading to the recall of over seven hundred patients.
