Nadeen Lister, 53, from Stanley, says she was left feeling ignored and unheard after first seeking help for a lump she discovered in her left breast in 2017.
After being referred to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Nadeen was assessed by former breast cancer clinical lead Mr Amir Bhatti.
Mr Bhatti was a director of two private healthcare companies to which ‘two-week-wait’ breast outpatient clinics were contracted, on a ‘pay-per-patient’ agreement.
Nadeen was urgently referred to the two-week-wait clinic by her GP, having found a lump on her left breast when having a shower.
Nadeen Lister (Image: STUART BOULTON)
She recalls being told the lump was likely to be fatty tissue and was “nothing to worry about”.
Believing she had been given the all-clear, Nadeen returned home.
But, over the following months, it became larger until it had reached what she described as the size of an orange.
Alarmed by the changes, she returned to her GP and was urgently referred for further assessment.
Further investigations revealed she had breast tumours and was suffering from lobular breast cancer.
“I was shocked,” Nadeen said.
Nadeen Lister (Image: NADINE LISTER)
“After being told there was nothing to worry about, to suddenly find out I had cancer was incredibly difficult to process.”
The diagnosis marked the beginning of an exhausting and traumatic battle for her life.
Nadeen underwent a mastectomy to remove the cancerous breast.
During surgery, she was told that doctors discovered the disease was extensive.
“There was cancer in every slice,” she added.
Before her diagnosis was confirmed, Nadeen says she was left in limbo and advised to go on a planned holiday while doctors decided whether she had cancer.
Amir Bhatti (Image: SUBMIT)
She remembers being told to “have a lovely time”.
Instead, she spent the entire holiday in fear.
“I panicked throughout that holiday, worrying that I had cancer,” she said.
“It was impossible to switch off.”
Following surgery, Nadeen endured rounds of chemotherapy at Shotley Bridge Hospital.
During treatment, she contracted sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition that left her seriously ill.
Nadeen Lister during treatment (Image: NADINE LISTER)
She later underwent further chemotherapy and radiotherapy, receiving a total of ten rounds of treatment as she fought the disease.
The physical toll was immense, but the emotional scars remain, according to Nadeen.
“I felt let down and not heard,” she said.
“I was trying to feel heard and tried to be strong and get my point across, but I was ignored.”
Nearly a decade on, Nadeen continues to question whether her cancer could have been diagnosed sooner.
The County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust sign (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
She believes a biopsy should have been carried out when she first attended the breast clinic and is convinced that returning to her GP ultimately saved her life.
“If I hadn’t gone back, I don’t think I’d be here today,” she said.
Her case is one of hundreds now being scrutinised as part of the ongoing breast cancer scandal at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
Independent reviews have uncovered serious failings within the service, including missed cancers, delayed diagnoses and inappropriate surgical procedures, in what the report described as “decade-long systemic failures”.
Nadeen during her treatment (Image: NADINE LISTER)
About 1,500 patient records are currently being examined, while Durham Police continues to investigate whether any criminal offences may have been committed and has created a police portal.
Now, Nadeen has joined forces with fellow patients and dozens of other women in a campaign demanding a full public inquiry.
The group, which has grown to between 90 and 100 women, says patients and families deserve answers about how such failings were allowed to happen.
Their petition calls for a national inquiry into the scandal, a complete overhaul of breast cancer services at the Trust, and accountability for those responsible for the care of affected patients.
“We just want to make people aware of what’s happened,” Nadeen said.
“I want justice for the thousands of women who have been impacted.”
For Nadeen, the fight is no longer just about her own experience, she says.
While the Trust has apologised to patients and families affected by the failings and says it remains committed to supporting those patients involved
But Nadeen and those others impacted say they want a full inquiry into this.
In a fresh statement, Gill Hunt, Chief Nurse at CDDFT said: “We fully recognise the seriousness of what has happened in breast services and the significant impact and distress this has caused for patients and families.
“We understand the strength of feeling that remains and why people want clear answers and confidence that learning and improvement have taken place.
“We take that responsibility very seriously and are committed to ensuring concerns are thoroughly investigated, affected patients are supported, and the lessons identified lead to meaningful and lasting improvements.”
She added: “While nothing can change what has happened in the past, significant work has taken place to strengthen the service.