Harm Suffered by NHS Breast Cancer Patients: What Went Wrong?

Claire Levene
Solicitor

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By Claire Levene

Solicitor | Medical Negligence

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Harm Suffered by NHS Cancer Patients

The BBC has reported that more than 200 breast cancer patients at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust suffered harm, with 43 patients experiencing serious harm linked to shortcomings in patient care.

Issues included delayed diagnoses and, tragically, some women undergoing unnecessary mastectomies.

Findings From the Independent Review

An independent review published last week highlighted multiple areas of concern, including:

• “Outdated clinical practices that did not meet guidance on best practice, and led to delayed diagnosis and cancers being missed”
• “A high rate of re-excision (repeated procedures) and low uptake of breast reconstruction immediately after mastectomy”
• “Operations that may have been carried out too quickly”
• “Outsourcing of many patient appointments in a manner that created a conflict of interests and posed a risk to clinical standards”.

These findings highlight significant failures in patient care and raise serious questions about the trust’s breast cancer services over several years.

You can read more in the full BBC report: Women traumatised by breast cancer treatment at NHS trust, where you will also find a link to additional coverage on BBC iPlayer.

How We Can Help

Our specialist clinical negligence team has extensive experience supporting clients affected by breast cancer misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis and negligent treatment across England and Wales.

If you believe you or a loved one may have suffered harm due to failures in NHS cancer care, we may be able to help you pursue a claim for compensation on a no win, no fee basis.

To speak confidentially to a member of our team, please contact our office.