UK NHS trust: 20 women underwent avoidable mastectomies

September 21, 2026 at 01:10 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Twenty women in Britain underwent mastectomies that could have been avoided, according to a BBC report citing the NHS trust. An internal review of breast cancer care from January 2023 to February 2025 found harm in 315 of 514 cases reviewed, including 77 cases of significant harm and at least one death. The trust's chief executive has apologized, while affected patients are calling for a public inquiry.

Key Facts

Twenty women in Britain underwent mastectomies that could have been avoided, according to a BBC report citing the NHS trust.
An internal review of breast cancer care from January 2023 to February 2025 found harm in 315 of 514 cases reviewed, including 77 cases of significant harm and at least one death.
A hotline set up for complaints received calls from 640 former patients.
The trust paid nearly £6 million over six years to private clinics linked to former breast cancer service lead Amir Bhatti.
Durham Police and the UK National Crime Agency are investigating possible violations.

Avoidable Mastectomies

One patient, 51-year-old Denise Howarth, was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in 2023 and underwent a mastectomy followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In September 2025, Howarth was told that a repeat breast-conserving operation could have been offered instead of removing the breast, but this option had never been discussed with her. Another anonymous patient learned that a mastectomy performed in 2021 was unnecessary; she had previously worked for the NHS and trusted the medical staff as colleagues.

Review Findings and Governance

The Royal College of Surgeons reported that breast cancer cases in the unit were insufficiently discussed at multidisciplinary team meetings, with treatment decisions potentially based on individual surgeons' opinions. The review also found a high rate of repeat operations, a low proportion of immediate breast reconstructions after mastectomy, and cases where surgery was performed too quickly. Questions were raised about the trust's collaboration with private clinics linked to former breast cancer service lead Amir Bhatti, to which the trust paid nearly £6 million over six years. A 2025 external review indicated that this arrangement could have created a financial conflict of interest; Bhatti has been suspended and the trust has ended such collaboration in breast cancer care.

Investigations and Patient Response

Durham Police and the UK National Crime Agency are investigating possible violations. Trust chief executive Steve Russell has apologized to patients. Affected women have formed a support group and are calling for a public inquiry.