Special treatment by the courts.

This case is very black and white - we are talking hundreds and hundreds of mostly women and it is vanishingly rare for a doctor to be charged let alone found guilty of wounding with intent in the course of his surgery. Re suing - the women treated in the private hospitals I'd guess will be doing this as his insurance company have withdrawn his indemnity insurance. That doesn't affect NHS patients as the Trust pays out. If the private patients sue they will be able to go after his assets but there must be a chance that they'll already have been transferred into his wife's or children's name - I think Stuart Hall did that. A dreadful dreadful case - anyone else remember Ledward and Neale?

These poor mothers. It must very so incredibly hard for them unless maybe they think their family member is innocent despite all the evidence against that. Sad all round.

I remember the mother of a mass murderer, he ate some of his victims organs, buried bodies in drains. His mother travelled hundred of miles once a month to visit him, when asked why and how she could do this after all he had done, she said - I am his mother.

We were talking about this; I have to say that whatever my loved ones did, and however bad, I would hate what they did but know that I would not be able to cut off my feelings for them. I think this all came about because we read that Ian Brady's mother had stood by him, although it would be hard to think of anything more evil than what he and Hindley did.

Same as you ellakeat but not as much surgery as you ,bad enough to accept when you have cancer but these poor people had nothing wrong with them my heart goes out to them .

When it's possible for some to 'the bad' in someone that doesn't exist, likewise it's possible for some to see 'the good' that doesn't exist either.

I understood your post too EllaKeat you've come through a very traumatic period in your life, you know what such invasive procedures are like to endure and although for you it's been life saving, it doesn't make it any the less traumatic. It must be terrible to know that others too have been through so much for no good reason.

I cannot critcise his daughters for placing their trust and belief in their father , not as if miscarriages of justice are rare in this country so understandable if they see it as so.

Surgeons tend to see surgery as the answer. 'Guidelines' change. This case may not be as black-and-white as it seems.

EllaKeat Makes perfect sense to me. Apart from everything else this man has done, the court case will have resurrected the trauma for every women who has had a Mastectomy. Also raised extra questions and issues for those currently in this situation, whose trust in the Medical Professionals advising them must be dented to some extent.

Leaves me pondering too on the merits of a universal, not for profit, System of Health Care, which is adequately funded, negating the need to seek private, expensive, medical help to speed up treatment or jump queues.

This case has really 'affected' me. I say affected like that because i am not depressed, anxious or losing sleep over it, but I am suprised by how I have reacted to it.

Ten years ago i went to my GP with what i thiught was mastitis. Being in a very lucky position of having private healthcare insurance, when he referred me, i was able to see a Consultant at a Spire clinic the next day. Ten days later, i had my first mastectomy. Following chemotherapy and radiotherapy, i had a second mastectomy and reconstruction.
I then went on to have an Oopherectomy because the BC had spread to my ovaries.

Now, logically, i KNOW i had breast cancer. I KNOW that the treatment was necessary, but i have never really and truly believed there was anything wrong with me. I felt, and was, too healthy. All emotions, of course, and nothing logical about it, but watching the news story really brought home how angry i still feel about how my body was disfigured - for good reason- and how these poor women, and men, must feel going through this for no reason at all.

This post probably does not make sense ??

No-one is all bad. I am not defending his crimes or his sentence, and I have seen no information at all about his family but he may have been a loving father and husband and his family may well have not known about his appalling behaviour at work.

If it was discovered out of the blue that either of my children or even DH had been committing misdemeanours at work, I would stand by them because all my experience of them is good and kind and loving and what is love if it is switched off the moment someone does something you would not approve of.

I know that whistle-blowers have a very hard time! However, what happened to doctors swearing to do no harm? Is it OK to see it done?
In our NHS they were apparently very keen to support whistle-blowers but the practice was very different. Doctors close ranks. Sometimes this is understandable but not in this case.

NannyMargaret48, have you ever tried to wonder what you would do (feel) if any one of your children did something heinous? Put a face and feet to it and see what you come up with. I'm quite amazed by my own thinking along these lines. Mind you, I freely admit that fantasy is completely different to reality but - shame or otherwise: who knows - I've sometimes thought I might even help my sons in even a case of murder. All theory but.........

I also cannot understand his daughters standing by him

Maybe he will do a 'Shipman' and save the taxpayer a lot of money. Being American born, I am not a fan of the state imposed death-penalty, but have no problem with someone's conscience catching up with them, or the brutality of prison life. They can sentence themselves.

His assets should surely be sequestered and offset against the compensation payments. I do not understand why this has not been done. Mind you, recalling the disgraceful business with bhs tycoon Philip Green, these people no doubt have methods of secreting any assets away from the hand of the law. Unlike us poor buggers....

My son works with the NHS and he goes ballistic when I suggest whistleblowing. He knows the awful outcomes that have ensued for many of his past colleagues and slightly for himself but he moved on quickly. I cannot go into specific details here but he assures me it is neither welcome or recommended in practice. Usually huge and awful consequences for anyone who has the courage and conscience. I'm no longer judgemental or critical of those who don't bite the bullet.

Why should he have been handcuffed in court, he is not a violent offender and we are not the US.

I used to investigate NHS complaints and this case doesn't surprise me at all. I wonder why other staff are not prosecuted as accessories? It is as bad to say nothing but culture within NHS is to cover things up, whistle blowers are not protected and frequently never work again. Is that what we really want?

The Being Open policy is voluntary and was launched in 2005 and had to be re launched in 2009 and still hospitals fall foul of these major scandals.

I suppose his family, like the family of Rolf Harris don't want to lose the money he has. The law has been woefully inadequate in this case and his property should be confiscated to cover all the losses and parts of him removed too.

As for the support he was allowed that is just corruption at work and the judge ought to be sacked, vulnerable people aren't allowed much support, why him?

When his victims sue then he will have to sell up unless he has millions in the bank, is his property in his name or his family?

There should definitely be a proceeds of crime order made and his assets confiscated. These are applied for after a conviction so it may still happen but I believe that it is the police who do it and they are very short staffed now and it is the kind of thing that may get shelved just because of time and staffing factors. It is important though. Hopefully some of the victims will sue for compensation but they should not have to do that.

It is just awful that this should have happened. What a strange man. Was he just really incompetent and genuinely thought that he was right or did he maliciously set out to injure these poor patients?
I suppose all operations are assaults but licensed ones. Makes you think.

How can anyone seperate properties bought from money made by legal means and ilegal means?

As it has been proved that he has carried out unnecessary operations isn't there a case for his victims to sue him in the civil court and claim compensation from him direct rather than the NHS having to pay it. If this is not possible because compensation has already been paid then the NHS should sue him for the money they have had to pay out

There was an hour long programme about him on channel 5. other surgeons were flagging him up 20 yrs ago
So far it has cost us, the tax payer, over £18 mil in compensation.