Deborah Douglas
In 2003 Deborah was diagnosed with breast cancer after losing both her parents suddenly to cancer in the previous two years. Her role in aerospace meant she had private health insurance and during her first appointment at Spire hospital she met the breast surgeon Ian Paterson.
During her treatment she joined a breast cancer support group called Breast Friends Solihull and in 2004 was co-opted onto the committee after organizing a successful fundraiser. She currently serves as the Chair of the charity, where she champions the cause of breast cancer patients and their families. The charity is run entirely by unpaid volunteers who offer emotional support and practical help to those affected by breast cancer.
Deborah was nicknamed ‘the Erin Brockovich of Birmingham’ after she gathered information in her own case and pieced together the information she got from victims after reading reports of an unrecognized breast cancer procedure called a cleavage-sparing mastectomy. Although she herself was harmed by Paterson she spearheaded the campaign for truth and justice for his victims.
She led the fight for patient recalls, and a government inquiry into how Ian Paterson could continue to carry out unauthorized procedures and harm patients in the NHS and private sector. She told her story in her book - THE COST OF TRUST: The Butcher Surgeon and the Scandal that Shamed British Medicine - which was published by Mudlark in 2026.
In her campaigning work she has been interviewed on all mainstream TV news and radio channels including Panorama’s How Safe is Your Operation?, The Victoria Derbyshire Show, Dr. Xand's Con or Cure, Women’s Hour (twice), and the Andrew Marr show. Her story highlighting the number of deaths being investigated by the coroner made front page news in the Sunday Times.
She has recently worked with three different private health companies as a guest speaker and the voice of the patient in their quality initiatives, and has spoken twice at the Royal College of medicine on the subject of patient safety.
In 2021 Deborah received a Pride of Birmingham Special Recognition Award, a testament to her unwavering dedication to seek the truth and to support victims. In 2022 the ITV documentary Bodies of Evidence aired which told the story of her campaign alongside the stories of other Paterson’s victims. Deborah’ s research and contacts were instrumental in making the documentary, and it won Highly Commended in ITV's True Crimes Documentary category.
Deborah continues to be an unwavering force for positive change in her community, helping other patients of rogue surgeons build support groups and campaign for change while she supports the families of the bereaved who reach out to her for help.
