An investigation by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has revealed significant failings in the treatment of breast cancer patients, with it being discovered that 20 women underwent unnecessary mastectomies. It has also revealed cases of missed or delayed diagnoses.
The trust is currently carrying out an internal review of breast cancer cases between January 2023 and February 2025, alongside cases of 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated helpline. It is currently known that 315 patients were found to have suffered harm, 77 of them significantly, and 1 patient is known to have died.
The investigation has demonstrated several issues within the breast cancer service. In particular, it has revealed concerns around the lack of proper multidisciplinary discussions in treatment. These meetings are designed to ensure other healthcare professionals review and challenge treatment plans before a decision is made. There is now a real concern that major treatment decisions were based solely on the unchallenged opinion of individual surgeons.
It has also been found that the trust used outdated practices that did not meet best-practice guidance. This included a high rate of "re-excision" (repeated procedures), low uptake of breast reconstruction immediately after mastectomy, and operations that may have been carried out "too quickly".
The trust plans to meet again to discuss whether to extend the scope of the review and assess further cases, and it is possible the full scale of the failures has yet to be established.
“A mastectomy is a life-changing procedure, and if it is established that some women underwent that surgery when it could have been avoided, the physical and psychological consequences are irreversible. Patients are entitled to expect major treatment decisions to be based on sound clinical evidence, proper multidisciplinary discussion and a clear understanding of their options. The priority must now be to establish what went wrong, identify every patient affected and ensure they receive the answers and support they deserve.”
Sophie Keatley
Associate - Medical Negligence
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