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Breast Cancer Care Failings: 1 Dead, 19 Severely Harmed
13 Aug
Summary
- One death and 19 severe harm cases identified from reviewed breast cancer treatments.
- The trust has hired three oncoplastic breast surgeons to expedite reviews.
- Breast cancer waiting times remain high, averaging six weeks.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) is actively recruiting more doctors to scrutinize its past breast cancer patient care. A previous report highlighted unnecessary surgeries, missed cancers, and poor care standards. As of the latest review, 500 cases from 2023 to February 2025 have been examined.
These reviews have revealed devastating outcomes: one patient died due to care failings, 19 experienced severe harm, and 55 suffered moderate harm. The trust has enlisted three oncoplastic breast surgeons, bringing the total review team to nine, to expedite the process. Approximately 1,000 cases remain under scrutiny.
CDDFT anticipates providing a clearer completion timeline for this review process in September. The trust also reported that three patients identified with harm could not be reached. Breast cancer waiting times persist at an average of six weeks, attributed to insufficient radiology staff and equipment.
Despite these challenges, the Northern Cancer Alliance notes the service performs comparably to regional peers. The trust's immediate goals include enhancing service capacity and sustainability, with patient caps set to increase from 90 to 100 weekly in September.
