County Durham breast cancer failure bosses to review 4,500 more cases

Hospital chiefs in County Durham have agreed to review up to a further 4,500 breast cancer cases after failings including delayed diagnoses and unnecessary surgeries were found.

Hundreds of patients suffered harm under County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, according to a review of cases dating back to 2023.

The BBC previously investigated the failings and has spoken to multiple women affected, including one who said she felt “mutilated” and the trust’s mistakes were “absolutely unforgivable”.

Ahead of agreeing to expand the review to cases dating back to 2015, members of the trust’s board offered “sincere” apologies for the failings and harm caused.

At an extraordinary meeting of the board held in Durham, board chair Alison Marshall said: “I would like to offer a sincere apology to all the women and their families who have been affected by the failings in our breast services.

“I can’t imagine the impact that has had.”

She said they could “not turn back the clock” but would be “open, honest and transparent” about the failings.

Chief nurse Gill Hunt told the board concerns were first raised in 2015 after a “service reconfiguration” and loss of breast surgical trainee posts.

Over the following years patients and bodies such as the Northern Cancer Alliance, Care Quality Commission and NHS England raised multiple issues, she said.

The key “themes” included treatment “not aligned to best practice”, excessive surgery and delayed diagnosis, she said.

The trust’s breast surgery lookback review began in April 2025 by examining cases between January 2023 and February 2025.

Hunt said 538 cases had been reviewed so far with 321 having experienced some form of harm, including one death.