NHS Trust Admits Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies Amid Breast Surgery Scandal

An NHS hospital trust in the north-east of England has confirmed that twenty women underwent unnecessary mastectomies while receiving care for breast cancer, marking a severe breach of clinical standards that has left hundreds of patients harmed.

The admission from County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) follows a growing internal investigation into severe historical and operational shortcomings within its specialized breast unit. The ongoing review has exposed widespread clinical errors that impacted the treatment, diagnosis, and surgical pathways of numerous individuals.

Steve Russell, the newly appointed chief executive of CDDFT, issued an unreserved apology for the physical and psychological damage inflicted on patients. Describing the events as completely unacceptable, Russell stated that he was personally distressed by the findings and acknowledged that the trust had deeply failed the community it was meant to protect.

The clinical review initially concentrated on breast cancer care provided between January 2023 and February 2025, alongside files belonging to 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated hospital support line. Thus far, assessors have examined 514 individual patient files, discovering that 315 people experienced harm as a result of their treatment. Among those, 77 patients suffered significant harm, and one patient is confirmed to have died.

Beyond unneeded surgical procedures, the audit revealed that medical teams repeatedly missed or delayed critical cancer diagnoses. According to Russell, these diagnostic failures enabled malignant disease to advance and spread undetected in several patients, severely compromising their long-term health outcomes.

The magnitude of the crisis has prompted hospital leadership to consider a dramatic expansion of the investigation. Officials are expected to decide shortly whether to extend the inquiry back to 2015, an escalation that would require clinicians and auditors to reopen and inspect up to 10,000 historic medical records.

Law enforcement agencies have stepped in to evaluate the severity of the clinical failures. The National Crime Agency is currently working in partnership with Durham Police to examine complaints submitted by former patients and establish whether any criminal offenses were committed during the provision of care.

Affected patients have begun sharing harrowing accounts of the life-altering consequences resulting from their surgical care. Denise Howarth, a 51-year-old resident of Consett, County Durham, was diagnosed in 2023 with slow-growing grade 1 cancer after detecting a lump. She underwent an initial lumpectomy followed by a full mastectomy, alongside eight rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

In September 2025, Howarth received a phone call and subsequent letter from the trust admitting that her breast removal had been unnecessary. The correspondence acknowledged that a secondary lumpectomy should have been considered and offered, but the option was never discussed with her. Howarth expressed overwhelming shock and grief, noting that written apologies cannot replace what was taken from her.

Another former patient, an ex-NHS employee identified as Jo, contacted the helpline regarding a mastectomy she underwent in 2021. Earlier this year, hospital representatives informed her that her surgical removal could also have been prevented. Jo recounted her immense sense of betrayal, having trusted former colleagues to uphold professional standards, only to be left feeling mutilated and devastated by errors she described as unforgivable.

Other women treated by the unit, including a patient named Pam who described feeling butchered by her procedure, have united to form peer support networks. Together, these former patients are demanding greater accountability and calling on the government to initiate a comprehensive public inquiry into the unit's historic practices.

Much of the scrutiny surrounds Mr Amir Bhatti, who served as the trust’s clinical lead for breast services between 2013 and 2024. Bhatti oversaw the clinical management of multiple affected patients, including Denise and Jo. He has since been suspended from active clinical practice, although he remains an employee of the trust receiving full pay.

Financial governance within the department has also come under intense examination. Records indicate that CDDFT paid nearly £6 million over a six-year period to private surgery providers and diagnostic clinics operated directly by Bhatti.

A 2025 external governance assessment led by specialist Mary Aubrey highlighted grave concerns over this financial relationship, warning that outsourcing NHS patient appointments to private ventures run by clinical staff created financial incentives that jeopardized clinical standards. While Russell noted that fee-for-service systems exist in healthcare, he conceded that the trust failed to manage a clear conflict of interest, confirming that the controversial private arrangement has now been terminated.