Twenty women had breasts removed needlessly, says NHS trust

Twenty women underwent unnecessary mastectomies while receiving cancer care at an NHS trust in north-east England, it has emerged.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust confirmed the women were among hundreds of patients found to have suffered harm within its breast services.

The trust is reviewing care provided between January 2023 and February 2025, alongside the cases of 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated support line. Of 514 cases reviewed so far, 315 patients were found to have experienced harm and 77 suffered significant harm. One patient is known to have died.

In some cases, breast cancer was missed and later spread. Other women underwent surgery that subsequent reviews found had not been necessary.

One affected patient, Denise Howarth, was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in February 2023 and initially underwent a lumpectomy and lymph-node removal. She later had a mastectomy after being told further surgery was required, but was subsequently informed by the trust that her breast did not need to have been removed.

The National Crime Agency is now working with Durham Police to examine allegations made by former patients and establish whether any criminal offences may have taken place.

Steve Russell, chief executive of the trust, apologised to the women and families affected, acknowledging that there had been opportunities for the organisation to listen more carefully and act sooner.

He said significant changes had since been introduced within the breast service and that the continuing review would identify other patients who may have suffered harm, ensuring they receive appropriate information and support.

The trust’s board is due to meet publicly on 24 September to consider the future scope and timeframe of the review. No final decision has yet been made.

Lawyers representing some of the women have called for a public inquiry, arguing that the scale and seriousness of the failures require independent scrutiny. For patients who underwent irreversible treatment unnecessarily, an apology cannot undo the physical and emotional consequences. The continuing review must now establish not only how these decisions were made, but why warnings were not acted upon sooner.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.