NHS trust to review breast cancer cases over more than a decade after failings

A hospital trust in County Durham, England is set to review up to 4,500 breast cancer cases after numerous failings, including delayed diagnoses and unnecessary surgeries, were uncovered. The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust's board agreed to expand the review back to 2015, potentially encompassing up to 4,500 additional cases and taking an estimated five years to complete.

Members of the board expressed sincere apologies for the harm caused and failures in breast cancer services. Board chair Alison Marshall stated that she could not imagine the impact on women and their families, while chief nurse Gill Hunt outlined the key issues, which included treatment not aligned with best practice, excessive surgery, and delayed diagnosis.

The review, which began in April 2025, has so far examined 538 cases, with 321 experiencing some form of harm and one death. An additional 640 patients have contacted a special helpline seeking their cases to be reviewed. The trust's breast surgery lookback review has cost about £523,000 in its first year and involved nine reviewers examining about 80 cases a month.

The expanded review aims to provide a proportionate and evidence-led clinical approach, supported by clear clinical rationale and formal governance reviews. The board also acknowledged the importance of learning from the review so far and addressing concerns raised by patients and other agencies in the future.

The trust's chief executive, Steve Russell, emphasized the distress and uncertainty experienced by women and their families due to the unnecessary surgeries. He assured that the trust would support those impacted in any way possible, such as offering breast reconstruction surgery to those who received it unnecessarily. Russell also mentioned that the trust currently surpasses national standards for breast cancer treatment, including the number of women undergoing breast conservation surgeries and immediate reconstruction.

Despite the past mistakes, Russell expressed confidence that patients today can be assured of appropriate treatment and good clinical outcomes. The helpline, available by phone or email, remains open for any concerned patients, regardless of when they were treated.