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The medical files of as many as 10,000 patients could be reopened by investigators after 20 women were found to have had unnecessary mastectomies in a breast cancer scandal engulfing the NHS.
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women → see → NHS
A review of cases going back a decade found hundreds more came to harm after being treated at County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT).
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hundreds → go → Durham
Victims told how they were left in agonising pain after being 'butchered' and 'mutilated' by surgeons at the trust's 'dysfunctional' breast cancer unit.
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they → tell → unit
CDDFT is now carrying out an internal review of breast cancer cases dating from January 2023 to February 2025, alongside the cases of 640 former patients who have contacted a dedicated helpline.
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who → carry → helpline
Of the 514 cases reviewed so far, 315 women 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 → ?
The trust says cases have been identified where patients had 'excessive surgery', were subjected to outdated practices or where cancer diagnoses were missed or delayed.
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diagnoses → say → practices
Some of these patients subsequently saw their cancer spread.
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cancer → see → patients
The trust's board is scheduled to meet next week to decide whether to extend the scope of the review to look at up to 10,000 cases dating back as far as 2015.
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board → schedule → 2015
Consultant surgeon Amir Bhatti has been suspended from clinical practice while an internal investigation is carried out
Meanwhile, the National Crime Agency is working with Durham Police to investigate allegations by former patients and determine if any criminal offences took place.
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offences → suspend → place
Steve Russell, who became CDDFT's chief executive last year, apologised 'unreservedly' for the harm caused.
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who → become → harm
Responding to the scandal, exposed by a BBC Local investigation, he added: 'There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am.
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I → respond → investigation
What happened was utterly unacceptable.'
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happened → happen → ?
Consultant surgeon Amir Bhatti, who was CDDFT's clinical lead for breast cancer services from 2013 to 2024, has been suspended from clinical practice while an internal investigation is carried out – but he remains employed by the trust on full pay.
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he → suspend → pay
The trust spent nearly £6million over six years on breast cancer diagnostic clinics and surgery companies run privately by Mr Bhatti in what Mr Russell admits was a 'conflict of interest'.
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Russell → spend → interest
A 2025 review into the running of the trust, carried out by governance specialist Mary Aubrey, raised concerns about the arrangement.
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review → carry → arrangement
She said there was a 'clear financial incentive' for Mr Bhatti's firms to treat more NHS patients when it was paid per case, potentially creating a 'risk to clinical standards'.
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it → say → standards
Consultants performed significantly more operations and consultations per session when they were acting in a private capacity than doing their usual NHS shifts, the review found.
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review → perform → shifts
Further concerns were raised last year in a report by the Royal College of Surgeons that said many breast cancer cases had not been discussed properly in multi-disciplinary team meetings, leaving surgeons to largely act as they pleased.
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they → raise → surgeons
The trust also had a high rate of repeated procedures, low uptake of breast reconstruction immediately after a mastectomy and operations that may have been carried out 'too quickly'.
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that → have → mastectomy
The Aubrey Review also suggested patients were potentially treated by locum consultants who were not competent, and noted that Mr Bhatti had repeatedly raised concerns about trust delays in obtaining vital diagnostic equipment.
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Bhatti → suggest → equipment
Mr Bhatti denied performing unnecessary mastectomies and blamed the NHS for paying £6million to his private clinics in just six years.
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Bhatti → deny → years
He refused to apologise to women who said they had been 'mutilated' under his care, and instead said of the unnecessary removal of breasts: 'Nobody ever does anything like that.'
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Nobody → refuse → that
The Daily Mail approached Mr Bhatti at his large detached farm conversion in Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland, where a Range Rover Sport with a personalised numberplate sits on the drive.
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Sport → approach → drive
Speaking via the speaker on a Ring doorbell, Mr Bhatti said he was out of the country, adding: 'I can't say anything because obviously it's all under investigation and it is all in legal hands really.
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it → speak → hands
I wish I could say more.'
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I → wish → more
One of Mr Bhatti's companies, Durham Surgical Services Ltd, currently has assets of more than £2.6million, accounts show.
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accounts → have → 2.6million
Darlington Memorial Hospital is one of those overseen by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (file pic)
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Hospital → oversee → Durham
CDDFT said that it is co-operating fully with the investigation by Durham Police and the National Crime Agency, and is sharing any information when requested.
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it → say → information
The Department of Health and Social Care said its thoughts are with the women and families affected.
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thoughts → say → women
A spokesman added that it is not able to 'comment further on those past failings while the current investigation is ongoing'.
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investigation → add → failings
The department also said that the North-East trust is 'working urgently' with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and independent experts to address what happened 'and to ensure that all future patients receive safe care'.
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patients → say → care
The Aporia
