NHS Trust Under Investigation After Hundreds of Women Harmed by Unnecessary Mastectomies An urgent review of breast cancer care at County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust uncovered over 300 cases of harm, including at least 20 needless mastectomies. The trust's chief executive issued a formal apology while investigations by the National Crime Agency and police continue. More than three hundred women suffered harm from the cancer care they received at the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT), including at least twenty who underwent unnecessary mastectomies. Patients describe the shock they felt when informed that the removal of their breast could have been avoided, leaving them with both psychological and physical pain. Out of 514 cases reviewed by the trust, 315 resulted in harm, 77 of those described as significant, and one patient is known to have died. Steve Russell, who has recently taken over as CDDFT's chief executive, has told the BBC he apologises 'unreservedly' for the harm caused by the trust."There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am and my colleagues are for those outcomes and the harm that those women have experienced," he said. "What happened was utterly unacceptable. " The trust also identified missed or delayed cancer diagnoses that led to some patients seeing their cancer spread, the chief executive said.One of the women, Denise Howarth, 51, of Consett, County Durham, was notified in September 2025 that a mastectomy she had undergone in 2023 could have been avoided. Howarth had been diagnosed with grade‑1 breast cancer after discovering a lump and underwent a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy and eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.When she received a call from the NHS and a follow‑up letter from CDDFT, she said she was left in shock and in tears on the phone."I can't believe what you're saying. It's all good and well an apology. It can't give me my breast back," she said. Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the trust's helpline about a mastectomy she had received in 2021 after being told earlier that year the procedure could have been avoided.She said she had trusted the people she considered colleagues to make the best decisions, and that she now feels 'mutilated' by the operation and that the mistakes are 'absolutely unforgivable'. Amir Bhatti, who was the CDDFT's clinical lead for breast services between 2013 and 2024, has been suspended from clinical practice but is still employed by the trust on full pay.The trust is conducting an internal review of breast cancer cases from January 2023 to February 2025, alongside 640 former patients who used a dedicated helpline. A decision on whether to extend the review to cover cases dating back to 2015 is imminent, meaning up to 10,000 medical records could be reopened. The National Crime Agency is working with Durham Police to investigate allegations by former patients to determine if criminal offences have occurred.Last year the BBC reported that the trust had received almost £6 million to fund breast cancer diagnostic clinics and surgery companies run privately by Mr Bhatti. A 2025 governance review raised concerns that outsourcing patient appointments created financial incentives that risked clinical standards, and suggested patients may have been treated by locum consultants who were not competent.The Royal College of Surgeons released a report last year stating that breast cancer cases had not been discussed properly in multi‑disciplinary team meetings. The trust says it is fully cooperating with the investigations by Durham Police and the National Crime Agency. A support group for affected women meets at Beamish Football Centre in Stanley, where the group is now calling for a public inquiry.The revelations highlight serious failures in patient safety and governance at CDDFT, prompting scrutiny of how breast cancer services are managed and whether independent oversight can prevent similar harm in the future