NHS Trust Admits 20 Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies in Growing Healthcare Scandal

Health officials at an NHS trust in north-east England have revealed that at least twenty female patients underwent unnecessary mastectomies while receiving treatment for breast cancer. The admission marks a dramatic escalation in an unfolding clinical scandal centered on the breast service unit at the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT).

According to facts confirmed by health authorities, the unnecessary breast removals represent only a portion of the broader harm inflicted on patients within the department. Hundreds of individuals treated at the unit are now confirmed to have suffered physical and psychological injury as a result of profound failures in care delivery.

Steve Russell, who recently assumed leadership of CDDFT as chief executive, offered an unreserved apology to all victims affected by the organizational failures. Addressing the breaches in clinical standards, Russell stated that the events were completely unacceptable, expressing deep personal distress over the profound trauma inflicted upon patients and their families.

In an effort to determine the full magnitude of the issue, the trust is conducting an extensive internal audit reviewing breast cancer treatments administered between January 2023 and February 2025. This internal review is being carried out alongside an evaluation of cases raised by 640 former patients who contacted a specialized helpline established by the trust.

Preliminary data released from the ongoing case reviews paints a grim picture of patient outcomes. Out of 514 medical cases analyzed by the trust so far, 315 patients were found to have suffered harm due to substandard care. Within that group, 77 patients endured significant harm, and authorities confirmed that one patient has died.

The investigation has also uncovered severe diagnostic deficiencies beyond improper surgical recommendations. Auditors identified multiple cases where initial breast cancer diagnoses were either missed entirely or substantially delayed. In several of these instances, the delays allowed the disease to spread to other parts of the patient's body before correct interventions were made.

The total number of impacted patients could rise dramatically in the coming weeks, as trust management prepares to decide whether to expand the historical scope of their inquiry. If senior leadership elects to extend the review back to 2015, medical reviewers will be tasked with reopening and evaluating up to 10,000 patient records.

As internal assessments proceed, the situation has also attracted criminal scrutiny. The National Crime Agency has officially joined forces with Durham Police to review evidence and testimonies submitted by former patients. Law enforcement agencies are actively assessing whether criminal offenses were committed in connection with the operations of the breast unit.

In the wake of these disclosures, affected patients and their relatives have formed support networks to cope with the aftermath of their treatment. Beyond offering mutual aid, these patient groups are actively calling for a formal public inquiry to uncover how such widespread failures were permitted to persist within the regional health service.

One of the patients facing the life-altering consequences of the trust's mistakes is Denise Howarth, a 51-year-old resident of Consett, County Durham. After discovering a breast lump in 2023, Howarth was diagnosed with grade 1, slow-growing cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy followed by a full mastectomy, in addition to undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Howarth learned the truth in September 2025 when she received a phone call and subsequent letter from CDDFT informing her that a second lumpectomy could have been performed instead of a total mastectomy. The trust conceded that this less invasive surgical option was never discussed with her. Howarth expressed that while an apology was provided, it could never undo the physical removal of her breast.

Another former patient, a former NHS worker speaking anonymously under the name Jo, shared her experience of learning via the helpline that her 2021 mastectomy had been completely unnecessary. Having trusted her healthcare colleagues to deliver appropriate medical care, Jo described feeling mutilated and stated that the egregious errors made by the trust were entirely unforgivable.

Central to the scrutiny surrounding the unit's clinical practices is Mr. Amir Bhatti, who served as CDDFT's clinical lead for breast services from 2013 until 2024. Bhatti has since been suspended from performing clinical duties, though he remains on the trust's payroll receiving full salary while inquiries continue.

The scandal also highlights significant financial arrangements between the trust and its lead clinician. Over a six-year period, CDDFT paid nearly £6 million to private diagnostic clinics and surgical firms owned and operated by Bhatti. A 2025 governance review conducted by expert Mary Aubrey highlighted that outsourcing patient care to these private entities created potential financial conflicts of interest that endangered clinical standards.

Chief Executive Steve Russell acknowledged that the trust had failed to properly manage the clear conflict of interest present in the arrangement with Bhatti. Although Russell pointed out that fee-for-service models are not uncommon within the broader healthcare sector, he confirmed that CDDFT has officially terminated all private outsourcing arrangements for breast cancer services.

The revelation of unnecessary surgeries, including those endured by patients such as Pam Brown—who described feeling butchered by her procedure—underscores the severe human cost of the governance failures. As legal, clinical, and police investigations proceed, former patients continue to demand full transparency and structural reforms within the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust.