Women get £1.2m compensation for botched breast operations

More than 30 patients came forward after concerns were raised about the work of specialist breast surgeon Puvaneswary Markandoo, who worked at Barnsley Hospital for three years until October, 2008.

Twenty-six of those women, who suffered problems following surgery including scarring, infections and stitches that burst open and leaked, have now received an average of more than £45,000 each in compensation.

In one case, a woman received unnecessary treatment for breast cancer and is now suffering from depression, after discovering years later that there was no need for her to have undergone the operations.

New figures disclosed to the Yorkshire Post under the Freedom of Information Act show that Barnsley Hospitals NHS Trust has so far paid out a total of £1,189,054 to the 26 women who were successful in their claims for compensation.

They had undergone surgery including mastectomies and reconstructive operations after breast cancer.

However, the actual cost of the case to the NHS will be far more as the full legal bill has still not been disclosed.

A hospital spokesman said the claimants’ legal costs were currently estimated at half a million pounds, but the NHS’ legal bill was not yet known.

It is thought that this is the final total for compensation as the claims of all those women affected have now been dealt with.

Ms Markandoo left Barnsley Hospital in 2008 and is banned from working in the private sector – although she is still allowed to work in the NHS.