Woman not aware that 'cleavage-sparing' mastectomy unauthorised, inquest hears

The convicted breast surgeon Ian Paterson pitched one of his patients an unauthorised cleavage-sparing mastectomy "almost like a sales job", an inquest has heard.

- Jessica Murray

Chloe Nikitas, an environmental consultant from Tamworth, died in 2008 at age 43 from breast cancer that had returned three years after having a mastectomy that she believed had removed all of her breast tissue.

She is the first of 62 patients operated on by Paterson whose deaths are being investigated as part of one of the largest inquests in British history, to find out whether the surgeon's actions caused their deaths.

Paterson, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of multiple counts of wounding in 2017, refused to attend Nikitas's inquest yesterday.

A prison supervisor told the hearing that he had a 20-minute conversation with Paterson yesterday morning, in which the 66-year-old former surgeon said the "coroner isn't investigating fairly", he felt he wasn't being "listened to" and the proceedings were "biased".

Judge Richard Foster, who is leading the inquests, can impose a fine of up to £1,000, refer Paterson for possible prosecution or refer him to the attorney general for contempt of court.