- Published
Twenty women underwent mastectomies unnecessarily while being treated for breast cancer, an NHS trust in north-east England has told the BBC.
asserted
trust → publish → BBC
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).
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who → come → Trust
The admission comes in the wake of revelations about serious failures in the unit, as reported by the BBC last year.
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admission → come → BBC
Steve Russell, who has recently taken over as CDDFT's chief executive, says he apologises "unreservedly" for the harm the trust caused.
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trust → take → harm
"There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am," he says.
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he → be → ?
"What happened was utterly unacceptable."
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happened → happen → ?
Dozens of affected women and their families contacted us following our earlier reporting.
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Dozens → affect → reporting
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.
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many → describe → that
We also met former patients who have come together to support each other and call for a public inquiry.
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who → meet → inquiry
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.
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who → carry → 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.
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who → review → 77
One patient is known to have died.
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patient → know → ?
Cases have also been identified where cancer diagnoses were missed or delayed.
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diagnoses → identify → ?
Some of these patients subsequently saw their cancer spread, says Russell.
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Russell → see → patients
The BBC understands a decision is imminent on whether to extend the scope of the review, and look at cases dating back to 2015. This could mean the re-opening of up to 10,000 medical records.
uncertain
This → understand → records
The National Crime Agency says it is now working with Durham Police to investigate allegations by former patients and determine if any criminal offences have taken place.
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offences → say → place
Denise Howarth is one of several women who have now been told by the NHS that their breast was removed unnecessarily.
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breast → tell → NHS
"I was just in shock, then ended up in tears on the phone," says the 51-year-old from Consett, County Durham.
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old → end → Consett
Denise had been diagnosed with grade 1 (slow growing) cancer in 2023 after discovering a lump in her breast.
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Denise → diagnose → breast
She initially underwent a lumpectomy, then a mastectomy, as well as eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
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She → undergo → chemotherapy
The call she received from the NHS in September 2025 was quickly followed by a letter from CDDFT.
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she → receive → CDDFT
It said that Denise could have been offered a second lumpectomy rather than full breast removal, but acknowledged the option had never been discussed with her.
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option → say → her
She says the apology was "all good and well" but will not bring her breast back.
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apology → say → breast
Jo (not her real name) contacted the trust's helpline about a mastectomy she had undergone in 2021.
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she → contact → 2021
The former NHS worker says she was told, in a phone call earlier this year, that the procedure could have been avoided.
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procedure → say → call
Jo says she had trusted the people she considered colleagues to do the best for her.
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colleagues → say → her
"You go to work to do your best, don't you?" she says.
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she → go → best
"So why would I think that anybody else wouldn't?"
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anybody → think → ?
She now says she feels "mutilated" by what happened to her, and feels the mistakes made by the trust were "absolutely unforgivable".
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mistakes → say → trust
The consultant overseeing Jo and Denise's care was Mr Amir Bhatti, who was CDDFT's clinical lead for breast services from 2013-24.
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who → oversee → 2013
He has now been suspended from carrying out clinical practice but is still employed by the trust on full pay.
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He → suspend → pay
Last year, we reported that nearly £6m had been paid by the trust over six years to breast cancer diagnostic clinics and surgery companies run privately by Bhatti.
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m → report → Bhatti
Concern about this arrangement was raised in a 2025 review into the running of the trust, external, carried out by governance specialist Mary Aubrey,
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Concern → raise → Aubrey
She said outsourcing patient appointments had created financial incentives which were potentially "a risk to clinical standards".
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which → say → standards
Payment per service is not uncommon in healthcare, Russell argues, although he tells us the trust has now ended this arrangement for breast cancer services.
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trust → argue → services
"We recognise there was a conflict of interest that wasn't managed properly," he says.
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he → recognise → interest
Pam Brown from Durham was an NHS patient who underwent a mastectomy in 2022 at Spire Hospital in Washington, where one of the outsourced private clinics was based.
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one → undergo → clinics
As with Denise and Jo, Pam does not know who carried out her operation.
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who → know → operation
Bhatti was the consultant overseeing the care of all three women.
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Bhatti → oversee → women
As far as Pam knows, her mastectomy was necessary.
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mastectomy → know → ?
…and 21 more, not listed.
The Aporia
