Key facts
- Twenty women underwent unnecessary mastectomies while being treated for breast cancer at the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT).
- Hundreds of patients have come to harm during treatment at the trust's breast unit.
- CDDFT is reviewing breast cancer cases between January 2023 and February 2025, and has so far examined 514 cases.
- Of the 514 cases reviewed, 315 patients suffered harm, including 77 who were significantly harmed.
- One patient is known to have died as a result of treatment failures.
- Cases of missed or delayed cancer diagnoses have also been identified, leading to the disease spreading in some patients.
Twenty women in northeast England underwent unnecessary mastectomies as part of their breast cancer treatment, an NHS trust has revealed. The County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) stated that hundreds of patients have suffered harm due to treatment failures at its breast unit.
Steve Russell, the trust's chief executive, issued an unreserved apology for the unacceptable harm caused. "There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am," he said.
The trust is currently conducting an internal review of breast cancer cases treated between January 2023 and February 2025, as well as examining cases of 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated helpline. So far, out of 514 reviewed cases, 315 patients have been found to have suffered harm, with 77 experiencing significant harm. One patient is known to have died. The review may be extended to re-examine up to 10,000 medical records dating back to 2015.
Some patients, like Denise Howarth, 51, were informed that a lumpectomy could have been performed instead of a full mastectomy, but the option was never discussed. "I was just in shock, then ended up in tears on the phone," Howarth said, adding that an apology was not enough as it would not bring her breast back.
Another former patient, who wished to remain anonymous and is referred to as Jo, was told her 2021 mastectomy could have been avoided. She described feeling "mutilated" and called the mistakes "absolutely unforgivable."
The consultant overseeing care for both Jo and Denise was Mr Amir Bhatti, who served as CDDFT's clinical lead for breast services from 2013 to 2024. He has been suspended from clinical practice but remains employed by the trust on full pay. Previously, it was reported that the trust paid nearly £6 million over six years to private breast cancer diagnostic clinics and surgery companies run by Bhatti.