Justice served: Patient exposed rogue surgeon

Deborah Douglas, a breast cancer survivor, speaks out about the betrayal by surgeon Ian Paterson, who performed unnecessary procedures, including a 'cleavage-sparing mastectomy,' on her. Diagnosed in 2003, Douglas underwent extensive treatment, including chemotherapy, only to later discover a simpler lumpectomy would have sufficed. Paterson was jailed in 2017 for 15 years, later increased to 20 on appeal, for defrauding and wounding at least 1,000 patients between 1997 and 2011. He falsely diagnosed patients with cancer to fund his extravagant lifestyle.

Douglas, who had lost her parents to cancer, felt violated by the broken trust and extensive, unneeded treatment. Her journey of meticulous note-taking and collaboration with police earned her the moniker 'Erin Brockovich of Birmingham' and a Pride of Britain award in 2022. Paterson's actions included botched operations leading to deaths and patients' cancer returning or spreading. He was stripped of his £1 million NHS pension in 2024, and inquests were opened into 65 patient deaths that same year.

As Paterson is set for parole in May 2027, before some inquests conclude, Douglas expresses concern for the victims' families. She continues to campaign for systemic changes to protect the public from such rogue practitioners, emphasizing the need for safe surgical practices. Despite the past trauma, Douglas is in remission and focuses on positive living, advocating for robust measures to prevent future injustices.