article_snippet: Surgeons who work in private hospitals have to take out Surgeons who work in private hospitals own insurance to cover Surgeons who work in private hospitals against medical negligence claims.
article_snippet: Louise Hawkley, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors said: 'The insurance company will usually be liable for any claims made for clinical negligence and, if compensation is awarded, this will be due from the insurer under the terms of the policy. '
article_snippet: a surgeon should be made to pay. '
article_snippet: It seems shocking that there isn't the same rules of cover for private patients as NHS patients. '
article_snippet: It shouldn't matter - if a doctor is negligent a doctor should be held accountable.' '
article_snippet: This is a unique situation, where a private surgeon's practices fall outside of their insurance cover, and there is no safety net for patients.'
article_snippet: Our clients are aggrieved that Our clients actually paid to undergo negligent treatment and, now that the negligence is known, Our clients may have no recourse against Mr Paterson, Mr Paterson insurer, or the hospital where Our clients received negligent treatment.'
article_snippet: She added: 'This is a deeply unfair set of circumstances whereby Mr Paterson's patients who received treatment in the NHS are rightly receiving the compensation which Mr Paterson's patients who received treatment in the NHS are due, but the patients who opted to pay privately may be left out of pocket for the treatment itself and without any compensation for negligent injuries identical to those suffered by Mr Paterson patients in the NHS. '
article_snippet: It is distressing both to Mr Paterson private patients, and professionally as a medical negligence lawyer, that it is legitimate and accepted for insurance cover to be suspended and/or withdrawn on a discretionary basis, affording no obvious recourse to private patients.'
highlights_snippet: his insurance policy may not be valid because the operations were 'illegal' 