County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has admitted cases of breast cancer being missed and unnecessary surgery.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has admitted failures in its breast cancer services at the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital, and some patients have undergone more extensive surgery than clinically necessary.
So far, 12 women have been contacted regarding failings in their care, which has seen them come to harm. At least 60 more cases are subject to investigation, and more women have since come forward.
Recent reviews by both the Northern Cancer Alliance (NCA) and the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) highlighted best practice not being followed.
The RCS report highlighted cases of cancer being missed and delayed diagnoses. It also found incidents of chemotherapy and breast reconstruction not being offered to patients, as well as surgery being undertaken to remove lymph nodes when not clinically necessary.
A further 200 cases have been identified so far, and a review remains ongoing, set to cover all patients seen in 2023 and 2024. There were approximately 9,700 outpatient attendances in 2024 alone.
“We know that some patients have not received the standard of care that we would want for them, or that they deserve. We have identified areas where improvement was needed – including how surgical decisions were made, how our multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) worked and where some outdated practices were still in use,” said Kathryn Burn, executive director of nursing at the Trust.
She went on to say that as part of the ongoing reviews, all relevant patient deaths would be carefully considered and that the Trust would continue to examine the service and ensure that all necessary learning is identified and acted upon.
Shocking situation
“This is a truly awful situation,” said Patrick Oliver, legal director at Tomlin and Partners. “While it is good that a full investigation is underway and the Trust is admitting shortcomings, one must ask how it is possible that this went on for years, affecting hundreds of patients without being picked up earlier – where was the oversight?”
“Cancer is a terrible disease that touches so many families, and it is absolutely vital that cancers are not needlessly missed and that those who have received a diagnosis receive proper care,” said John Lowther, senior associate at Slater and Gordon in Newcastle.
The Trust admitted numerous failings, which have led to services not reaching the required standards, including staff not feeling able to speak up and raise their concerns and a lack of peer review to support consensus decision-making.
“There is clearly potential harm associated with such practices, including pain, unnecessary disfigurement, failure to preserve breast tissue and/or provide reconstruction where appropriate,” the Trust said in a statement.
“This will be a very distressing time for anybody who has been a patient of the Breast Surgery Service at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust over the past few years, and is yet to be contacted by the Trust, as they will now be left wondering if their treatment either led to delays in diagnosis, lack of appropriate treatment or unnecessary surgery,” said Maria Repanos, head of clinical negligence in Manchester at Hudgell Solicitors.
“It is clear that this is a department which has had serious issues dating back to 2019 when a review first noted numerous concerns,” she continued.
The Trust has subsequently appointed two new consultant breast surgeons, invested in modern equipment and strengthened both its MDT processes and clinical governance arrangements.
