A major NHS trust has launched a significant safety review that will examine the treatment of up to 4,500 breast cancer patients dating back more than a decade. The decision follows the discovery of severe clinical failings that led to hundreds of patients suffering harm, including one death and at least 20 unnecessary mastectomies.
The board of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust met on Thursday 24 September 2026 and unanimously agreed to expand its look-back exercise to cover cases from 2015 onwards. The move comes after an initial review of 539 cases between January 2023 and February 2025 revealed that 321 patients had experienced some level of harm.
Chief Nurse Gill Hunt told the board that concerns were being traced back to a 2015 service reconfiguration and the loss of breast surgical trainee posts at the time. The trust has confirmed that the National Crime Agency (NCA) is now working alongside Durham Police to assess the failings and determine whether any criminal offences have been committed.
Scale of clinical harm
The safety investigation was initially triggered following concerns regarding clinical practice within the trust’s breast services. Among the findings so far, it has been confirmed that at least 20 women underwent unnecessary mastectomies—major surgery to remove one or both breasts—due to clinical errors. One patient death has also been directly linked to the identified failings.
The scope of the new review suggests that the issues within the department may be systemic rather than limited to the actions of a single individual.
The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust stated that the review will proceed on a year-by-year basis. It will begin with cases from 2022 and work backwards towards 2015. Due to the volume of medical records involved, the trust estimates the full look-back exercise could take up to five years to complete, meaning some cases from the earliest part of the period may not be reviewed until 2031.
Support for affected patients
The trust has acknowledged that the news will cause significant distress to former and current patients. A dedicated support system has been established for those who believe they or their family members may have been affected by the service’s failings.
A specialist helpline has been set up for patients who have concerns or questions regarding their treatment history.
- Patient Helpline: 0191 333 2126
The trust has advised that it will contact patients directly if their case is flagged for review or if harm is identified. However, anyone who received breast cancer treatment at the trust between 2015 and 2025 and has concerns is encouraged to use the contact details provided.
The trust board has committed to the five-year review process to ensure transparency and to examine how the failings were addressed.
