Inquest opens into 74th patient of disgraced surgeon

A coroner investigating the deaths of former patients of the jailed surgeon Ian Paterson has opened a 74th inquest.

Olive Corbett died aged 93 at a nursing home in Solihull in 2006, after breast cancer spread to her lungs. Her family has not yet been traced by the inquest team.

Judge Richard Foster is examining the deaths of some of Paterson’s former patients to determine whether or not they died an unnatural death as a result of his care and treatment.

Paterson was jailed for 20 years in 2017 for 17 charges of wounding with intent and three of unlawful wounding, for carrying out botched and unnecessary operations.

Last week, it was revealed that West Midlands Police were investigating the death of one of Paterson’s former patients, Joan Green from Staffordshire.

It is the first death of one of his patients that the force is investigating, with police confirming it was the first case that had been referred to them by Foster.

Paterson is due to be released next May, at the mid-way point of his sentence and before the inquests into his former patients are due to conclude.

Anyone with information about Olive Corbett’s relatives are asked to contact the solicitors to the inquests, Higgs.