Breast cancer errors 'may affect thousands'

The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust says the cases it has identified so far were mainly at the University Hospital of North Durham

A major investigation is under way into the care of thousands of breast cancer patients at a hospital trust.

The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust issued an apology after it said some women received "more extensive surgery than was clinically necessary at the time".

Almost 200 cases have been identified so far following a review, but the trust said it could include thousands of cases dating back to 2019, mainly at the University Hospital of North Durham. A number of patient deaths are also being investigated.

Kathryn Burn, executive director of nursing, said: "We fully recognise how distressing this is to hear, and we are truly sorry."

The trust said it had appointed two new consultant breast surgeons, invested in modern equipment and strengthened both its multidisciplinary team processes and clinical governance arrangements following the review.

Missed cancers

The trust and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board commissioned the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) to carry out an independent review of the breast surgery service, following a patient safety incident earlier this year.

The RCS team visited the trust in January and its report revealed cancers that were missed, mastectomies that may not have been necessary, incidents of chemotherapy not being offered and surgery undertaken to remove lymph nodes when not clinically necessary.

The trust, which also operates Darlington Memorial Hospital, has contacted those patients it has identified so far

The trust said areas where improvements were needed included how surgical decisions were made and ending the use of outdated practices.

Ms Burn told the BBC the trust was looking at the investigation "from a clinical urgency perspective" and it had made "a lot of improvements".

"We are looking back systematically through clinical priority where we feel there might be more risk to our patients," she said.

"We know that some patients have not received the standard of care that we would want for them, or that they deserve.

"For some patients, this may have resulted in more extensive surgery than was clinically necessary at the time."

Patient helpline

The trust, which also operates Darlington Memorial Hospital, has contacted and apologised to the patients it has identified.

Since February, the trust has been reviewing the care of patients who had surgery through the breast service in 2024.

"The review is still ongoing and we remain committed to speaking directly with any patient whose care warrants follow-up," Ms Burn said.

"We also continue to welcome contact from any patient who has concerns about their experience."

A helpline has been set up on 0191 333 2126 and patients can also email: [e-mail]