LONDON — Twenty women had their breasts removed unnecessarily while being treated for cancer at an NHS trust in north-east England.
They were among hundreds of patients who came to harm during treatment at the breast unit of the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT).
The admission comes in the wake of revelations about serious failures in the unit last year.
The BBC reported last year that more than 200 patients were found to have suffered harm at the CDDFT.
The broadcaster reported that the National Crime Agency was working with Durham police to investigate allegations by former patients and determine if any criminal offences had taken place.
Steve Russell, who has recently taken over as CDDFT’s chief executive, apologized “unreservedly” for the harm the trust caused.
“There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am,” he says. “What happened was utterly unacceptable.”
The BBC said dozens of affected women and their families contacted them following the earlier report.
Patients described the shock they had felt on being told a mastectomy (the removal of all or part of a breast) could have been avoided, as well as the psychological and physical pain that many still live with.
CDDFT is now carrying out an internal review of breast cancer cases between January 2023 and February 2025, alongside the cases of 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated helpline.
Of 514 cases reviewed by the trust so far, 315 patients have been found to have suffered harm, including 77 who were significantly harmed. One patient is known to have died.
It says that cases have also been identified where cancer diagnoses were missed or delayed. Some of these patients subsequently saw their cancer spread.
Russell said the trust will meet in the coming week to decide whether to extend the scope of the review, and look at up to 10,000 cases dating back as far as 2015.
Rachel O’Connor, part of the medical negligence team at Hudgell Solicitors, is calling for a public inquiry.
“We are currently advising a number of women who have had surgeries they have since been told were not needed,” she said.
“Breast cancer services at hospitals should be places where patients have the reassurance of exceptional care and support, from clinics and scans to surgeries and treatments.
“Sadly, at County Durham and Darlington NHS foundation trust, this has not been the case for many years, as deep-rooted, systematic failures have led to women suffering serious harm.”
Source: Saudi Gazette