Unnecessary Breast Removal for Women.

County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) recently admitted causing harm to hundreds of patients whilst under their care from January 2023 – February 2025. Following media discussions last year, an independent governance investigation was launched which revealed that over 300 patients were found to have suffered harm at CDDFT. Some of these cases consist of misdiagnoses of cancer and unnecessary surgeries.

The Aubrey Review highlights that there are systemic failures in the Trust spanning decades. The key themes included treatment not aligning to best practice and even out-dated practices, excessive surgery to include mastectomies and lymph node removals and delays in diagnosis.

The report also found that there were multiple instances where internal and external warnings were ignored. Consequently, due to the poor clinical governance and supervision, the Trust has lost its training accreditation for breast surgery.

These findings include harm caused to 20 women who had their breasts removed unnecessarily, whilst being treated for cancer under the care of CDDFT. It has been reported in the media that one patient harmed by CDDFT was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in February 2023, undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiology. She was later told that the mastectomy was not needed.

The CDDFT is still currently carrying out investigations into breast cancer cases from January 2023 – February 2025 and it is reported that 640 former patients have contacted their support line since the BBC’s reporting on the matter.

The National Crime Agency was also working with Durham police to investigate allegations by former patients and determine if any criminal offences had taken place.

Sadly, the review echoes the same sort of systemic failings evident in other Trust reviews and inquiries that have also made the news over recent years. It was reported that there was a “culture of complacency” creating barriers that prevented staff from raising concerns around practices and patient safety.

Whilst the Trust’s leadership has issued a public apology already, there is still significant work to be done. We hope that the spotlight from the review and the media conversation help to drive systemic change within CDDFT, and indeed our NHS generally. This cannot be another example of failings without any meaningful change. Trust needs to be rebuilt with the community and patients, and their families need the answers they deserve.

Our Clinical Negligence Department has specialist expertise in dealing with misdiagnoses of cancer and unnecessary surgeries. If you wish to speak to a member of the team, please make contact via the ‘Get in Touch’ button below.