The Prime Minister has promised women affected by County Durham’s breast surgery scandal they will get the “support and the answers” they need, amid revelations that hundreds of patients suffered harm, including 20 who underwent unnecessary mastectomies.
Scandal-hit County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust was raised at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 11 November.
City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy said the trust had been “mired in a number of controversies” in recent years, including the ongoing problems in breast services.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “I know there are thousands of women in the North East affected by the breast surgery scandal that she mentions, and I will ensure that the Health Secretary provides all of the support that they need to get the support and the answers that they must have.”
The comments come amid continuing scrutiny of breast cancer care at the trust.
An independent review led by governance expert Mary Aubrey identified a decade of missed warnings, ignored red flags and “systemic failures”.
The review initially found 51 women had been harmed, but the trust has since identified hundreds of patients who suffered harm, including 20 women who underwent unnecessary mastectomies.
Former breast surgery lead Dr Amir Bhatti was barred from carrying out surgery in February 2025.
Dr Bhatti remains employed by the trust and is currently on sick leave on full pay.
Thousands of patient cases could be reviewed
The trust has since agreed to extend its review of breast care, which currently covers patients treated between January 2023 and February 2025.
It will next examine cases from 2022 before working backwards year by year to 2015, potentially covering around 4,500 women.
This work could take five years, meaning some women treated in 2015 may have to wait until 2031 for their cases to be examined.
Concerns raised over stalled A&E expansion
Ms Foy also used PMQs to raise concerns about the future of University Hospital North Durham after plans for its long-promised A&E extension stalled.
She said: “The latest disappointment for my constituents is the withdrawal of the planned A&E expansion, which the trust can no longer fund without external capital support.”
The Prime Minister said he would meet with Ms Foy to discuss the hospital.
Planning permission for an extension to the A&E was originally granted in 2017, but it lapsed before an updated scheme was approved in 2023.
That permission has also expired and health bosses have admitted there is no funding in place to deliver the development.
The estimated cost of the project has risen to between £60million and £80million.
Trust chief executive Steve Russell previously said the existing A&E was “not fit for purpose” and that the trust would have to start again with plans for its redevelopment.
