Cancer Care Failures Spark Public Inquiry Call

Two breast cancer patients are spearheading a call for a public inquiry into the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT). Nadeen Lister and Amelia Green, having experienced care failures, have initiated a petition demanding greater accountability. These patients were brought together by their shared negative experiences with the trust's breast cancer services.

A comprehensive report published in the past year identified numerous deficiencies within the trust's breast cancer care. These included instances of missed diagnoses and procedures that were not medically necessary, such as avoidable mastectomies. These failures have led to harm for a significant number of women.

Official figures indicate that 270 women have been adversely affected by these service issues. Of this total, 45 experienced moderate harm, and 19 suffered severe harm. Tragically, one patient's death has been linked to these failings. The trust has issued apologies and stated that steps have been taken to rectify the situation, including strengthening its clinical leadership.

Further investigations are currently underway, with approximately 1,500 medical records from between 2023 and 2025 undergoing review. Durham Police have also launched an investigation to determine if any criminal offenses have occurred. A former clinical lead for breast cancer at the trust has been restricted from seeing patients pending the outcome of these investigations.

Amelia Green's sister, Michaela, who was also a patient of the trust, passed away from breast cancer in 2009. Amelia herself discovered a lump in January 2019 and was referred to the former clinical lead, Mr. Amir Bhatti. She recounts a dismissive interaction regarding her family history of cancer. Later, she was diagnosed with aggressive stage three cancer and was initially denied a second opinion by Bhatti.

Nadeen Lister found a lump in 2020 and was initially told by Bhatti that it was benign fatty tissue. However, the lump grew significantly, leading to a second urgent referral. Nadeen was subsequently diagnosed with two tumors and required a mastectomy. She believes that a biopsy should have been performed during her initial consultation.

The trust has acknowledged the distress caused and is offering support, including psychological assistance. They have also stated their commitment to transparency and have implemented improvements such as additional staffing and revised clinical pathways, reporting better outcomes than the national average in key breast surgery indicators.