NHS Trust Admits at Least 20 Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies in Breast Care Scandal

An NHS hospital trust in north-east England has admitted that at least 20 women underwent unnecessary mastectomies during their treatment for breast cancer. The surgeries form part of a wider series of severe clinical failings uncovered within the specialized breast unit at the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT).

The revelation follows an expanding institutional assessment into care standards at the trust, where hundreds of individuals are now confirmed to have suffered varying degrees of harm. Newly appointed leadership at the organisation has acknowledged the magnitude of the errors, which have left former patients grappling with both physical disfigurement and long-term psychological distress.

Currently, CDDFT is carrying out an extensive internal review focusing on breast cancer cases handled between January 2023 and February 2025. This inquiry also incorporates the medical histories of 640 former patients who came forward independently through a dedicated helpline established to handle clinical concerns.

Interim findings from the audit reveal significant clinical failures across the department. Of the 514 patient cases examined so far, 315 individuals were confirmed to have suffered harm due to the standard of care they received. Within that group, 77 patients sustained significant harm, and health officials have confirmed that at least one patient has died.

The internal review has also brought to light multiple instances in which cancer diagnoses were either missed entirely or substantially delayed. According to trust officials, these diagnostic delays allowed the disease to progress and spread in several patients before appropriate medical treatment was finally initiated.

Steve Russell, who recently stepped into the role of chief executive at CDDFT, offered an unreserved apology for the damage inflicted on patients and their families. Describing the events as utterly unacceptable, Russell stated that he was deeply and personally distressed by the scale of harm that took place under the trust’s oversight.

Health authorities are now on the verge of deciding whether the clinical review should be broadened further to scrutinize patient records reaching back to 2015. If approved, the expanded investigation could result in the reopening and retrospective examination of up to 10,000 individual medical files.

The escalating scandal has also triggered law enforcement involvement. Durham Police and the National Crime Agency are currently collaborating to examine allegations brought forward by former patients to establish whether any criminal offences were committed during the provision of care.

Among those directly affected is 51-year-old Denise Howarth from Consett, County Durham, who learned that her breast was removed unnecessarily following a grade 1 cancer diagnosis in 2023. After finding a lump, Howarth underwent an initial lumpectomy followed by a full mastectomy, alongside eight rounds of chemotherapy and subsequent radiotherapy.

In September 2025, Howarth received a phone call and follow-up correspondence from the trust acknowledging that a second lumpectomy could have been carried out instead of a full mastectomy. The trust admitted that this less invasive surgical option had never been presented or discussed with her, leaving her devastated by the irreversible loss.

Another patient, a former NHS employee referred to as Jo, reached out to the trust’s helpline regarding a mastectomy she underwent in 2021. She was subsequently informed during a phone conversation earlier this year that her major operation could have been avoided entirely.

Jo expressed profound anguish over the revelation, explaining that she had placed complete faith in medical professionals she regarded as colleagues. Stating that she felt mutilated by the procedure, she described the catastrophic errors made in her treatment as absolutely unforgivable.

Other former patients have shared similar accounts of trauma, including Pam Brown, who described feeling butchered after undergoing a breast removal operation at the unit. A number of affected women have since formed a mutual support network and are actively campaigning for a formal public inquiry into the trust's historical breast services.

Much of the scrutiny surrounds consultant surgeon Mr Amir Bhatti, who served as CDDFT’s clinical lead for breast services from 2013 until 2024. Bhatti oversaw the medical care of both Jo and Howarth during his tenure. He has since been suspended from active clinical practice, although he remains on the trust’s payroll on full pay.

Financial practices surrounding the department have also come under intense examination after it emerged that the trust paid nearly £6 million over six years to private diagnostic clinics and surgery companies operated by Bhatti. A 2025 external governance review conducted by specialist Mary Aubrey highlighted that outsourcing appointments to these entities created financial incentives that posed potential risks to clinical standards.

Russell stated that the trust has now completely terminated the outsourced payment arrangement for breast cancer services. While noting that fee-for-service models are not uncommon across the wider healthcare sector, he acknowledged that the trust had failed to properly manage a clear conflict of interest within the department.