20 Women Had Breasts Removed Unnecessarily During NHS Cancer Treatment

Twenty women underwent unnecessary mastectomies while receiving breast cancer care at an NHS trust in north-east England, while hundreds of other patients have been found to have suffered varying degrees of harm, according to an ongoing review.

The cases are linked to the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT), which has been investigating serious concerns surrounding its breast services and the treatment of patients over several years.

The trust is currently reviewing breast cancer cases handled between January 2023 and February 2025, alongside cases involving 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated support helpline after concerns about their care emerged.

Figures released as part of the review show that hundreds of cases have already been assessed, with hundreds of patients found to have suffered some level of harm. The review has also identified cases in which breast cancer diagnoses were missed or delayed, allowing the disease to progress in some instances.

The trust has confirmed that 20 women underwent mastectomies that were not necessary, while a wider group of patients experienced excessive surgery or treatment that did not conform to accepted best practice.

Board information showed 32 cases involving excessive surgery, including mastectomies, with the trust subsequently confirming that 20 of those cases involved unnecessary mastectomies.

A further 38 cases involved treatment that was not aligned with best practice. These included unnecessary surgery for benign conditions, failure to offer immediate breast reconstruction in appropriate cases and the use of outdated practices that resulted in harm.

The review has also identified about 20 cases involving delayed diagnosis, a problem that can have serious consequences because breast cancer may progress while treatment is delayed.

The findings have raised questions about clinical decision-making, patient consent, multidisciplinary review and the systems that should have identified inappropriate treatment before patients underwent major procedures.

A Royal College of Surgeons review previously identified outdated practices within the breast surgery service and found evidence of excessive or unnecessary surgery in some cases.

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It also found that some patients were not offered all available treatment options, including neoadjuvant therapy and breast reconstruction.

Concerns were further raised about the trust’s multidisciplinary team arrangements, which are intended to allow surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and other specialists to jointly assess cancer cases before treatment decisions are made.

The review identified weaknesses in those arrangements, including insufficient peer review and challenge to support collective decision-making.

The trust’s chief executive, Steve Russell, has apologised to patients and their families, acknowledging that the organisation failed people who placed their trust in its breast services.

Russell said the trust recognised the profound impact of the failures and accepted that there were opportunities when it should have listened more carefully and acted sooner.

One of the women affected is Denise Howarth, 51, from Consett in County Durham, who was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer in February 2023.

Howarth initially underwent a lumpectomy and removal of lymph nodes before being told at a follow-up review that she still needed a mastectomy.

She subsequently underwent the breast-removal operation and later received chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

In September 2025, however, the trust contacted her and told her that the mastectomy had not been necessary.

Howarth said the revelation left her shocked and devastated because she had trusted medical professionals to make the correct treatment decisions.

She has described the loss of her breast and the subsequent discovery that the surgery was unnecessary as life-changing, saying the experience severely affected her confidence.

Another affected woman, identified as Jo, also described the emotional impact of learning that her mastectomy could have been avoided.

She said further screening and biopsies could have established that areas of concern were benign and that the small cancer detected in her breast could have been treated without removing the entire breast.

The cases have prompted calls for a broader independent investigation.

Rachel O’Connor of Hudgell Solicitors, which represents some affected patients, has called for a public inquiry, arguing that the scale and duration of the problems warrant further examination.

The trust is also cooperating with Durham Police, which is investigating allegations arising from former patients’ experiences and examining whether any criminal offences may have occurred.

The National Crime Agency has also been involved in the investigation into allegations surrounding the breast service.

The clinical leadership of the service has come under scrutiny as part of the wider investigation.

The trust has confirmed that consultant Amir Bhatti, who served as its clinical lead for breast services from 2013 to 2024, currently has restrictions on his clinical practice while an internal investigation continues.

The trust has also faced questions about previous arrangements under which significant sums were paid to privately operated breast cancer diagnostic and surgical services associated with Bhatti.

A previous governance review raised concerns that outsourcing arrangements could create financial incentives that posed risks to clinical standards.

The trust has since made significant changes to its breast service.

These include the appointment of two new specialist oncoplastic breast surgeons, the introduction of experienced external specialist leadership, stronger clinical oversight and a requirement for patients to be discussed by a full multidisciplinary team.

The trust says care is now based on current national guidance and that its breast assessment clinics and imaging services have been improved.

A dedicated breast pain clinic has also been introduced, while additional specialist radiology expertise and upgraded breast-imaging facilities have been provided.

According to the trust, the changes are producing measurable improvements.

The proportion of women requiring a mastectomy has fallen to around the national average, while immediate breast reconstruction rates have tripled.

The trust also says the need for a second operation to completely remove a cancer has been cut by half.

More than 80 per cent of patients now undergo surgery as day cases, while fewer patients require diagnostic surgery.

More than one-third of cancer operations now use advanced oncoplastic breast surgery techniques, which can combine cancer treatment with techniques aimed at preserving or improving the appearance of the breast.

Despite the changes, the trust acknowledges that rebuilding confidence among patients will take time.

The review of previous care is continuing, and the organisation says patients whose records raise concerns will be contacted directly and offered appropriate information, clinical care and support.

The next major development is expected on September 24, when the trust’s board will meet publicly to decide the future scope and timeframe of the review.

The board will consider whether the investigation should be expanded to cover thousands of additional patient cases dating back to 2015.

No final decision had been made on the proposed expansion before the meeting.

The trust has also kept its dedicated patient support line and email service open for former patients who have concerns about their breast care.

The unfolding investigation has raised wider questions about NHS patient safety, breast cancer treatment, clinical governance, informed consent and medical accountability.

For the women who have been told that major surgery could have been avoided, however, the consequences are permanent.

The central questions now facing investigators and health authorities are how inappropriate treatment decisions were made, why existing safeguards did not prevent them, whether warning signs were missed and how many additional patients may have been affected.

With the review still underway and the possibility of expanding it to cases dating back to 2015, the full scale of the NHS breast care failures may not yet be known.

20 Women Had Breasts Removed Unnecessarily During NHS Cancer Treatment