A major NHS Trust in north-east England is under intense scrutiny after multiple women reported harmful and distressing experiences during their breast cancer care. Investigations have been launched into more than 200 patient cases at County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT), with 43 reports of significant harm and even one death being reviewed.
Women treated by the service say they were left feeling “butchered,” traumatised by unnecessary surgeries, delays, and what they describe as a lack of compassion. A leading breast cancer specialist has called the situation a “textbook example of how breast cancer management should not be delivered.”
A newly published independent review led by governance expert Mary Aubrey uncovered several serious failings within the Trust’s breast service:
Nearly £6 million was paid by the Trust to clinics connected to its main breast surgeon — a set-up labelled by some staff as “overly generous”.
31-year-old Kate Driver found a breast lump shortly before Christmas 2023. Her biopsy was carried out using fine needle aspiration — a method no longer recommended because it often provides inadequate results.
Her test was inconclusive, forcing her to wait weeks for answers. When finally diagnosed with cancer, she was advised to undergo a mastectomy without reconstruction. A second opinion at another trust revealed reconstruction was possible immediately — contradicting her original care plan.
Kate says the delays, uncertainty, and poor communication left her anxious, sleepless, and feeling neglected.
Another patient, Dawn Gillott, says she was given no real choice about surgery and later felt “butchered” by the outcome. She lives with chronic pain from the procedure and now questions whether a less invasive option — like a lumpectomy — might have been appropriate.
A Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) review revealed:
National data also showed that nearly half of women diagnosed at the Trust underwent mastectomy — almost double the UK average.
Warnings about the breast service date back to 2012, when the Trust lost its status as a breast surgery training centre. Multiple internal reports between 2019 and 2024 raised strong concerns but were not acted upon until very recently.
The Trust’s new chief executive, appointed in 2025, has publicly apologised, saying:
“It is not good enough that we were too slow to act… I am deeply sorry.”
The surgeon at the centre of these concerns is no longer leading breast services and is under investigation.
Incidents like these highlight how important high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centred care is — especially for something as sensitive and life-impacting as breast cancer assessment and treatment.
If you or someone you know needs:
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