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NHS trust to review 4,500 breast cancer cases after women suffered unnecessary mastectomies and delayed diagnoses

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

Of 538 cases reviewed so far, 321 women suffered harm, including one death, prompting County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust to expand its lookback to 4,500 cases.
Of 538 cases reviewed so far, 321 women suffered harm, including one death, prompting County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust to expand its lookback to 4,500 cases.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has agreed to expand its breast cancer lookback review to up to 4,500 cases dating back to 2015, after hundreds of women were found to have suffered serious harm. Of 538 cases examined so far, 321 had experienced harm of some kind, among them one death, with failings including delayed diagnoses and excessive surgery. Board chair Alison Marshall offered a "sincere apology" to all women and families affected, while one patient said she felt "mutilated" and called the trust's mistakes "absolutely unforgivable."

Issues were first identified as early as 2015, after the breast surgery service was restructured and trainee surgical posts were cut.

The trust's board held an extraordinary meeting in Durham to agree the expansion, with chiefs admitting treatment was "not aligned to best practice."

The original review only covered cases from January 2023 to February 2025 — the new scope stretches back a full decade further.

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