Former breast services clinical lead, Amir Bhatti, who previously practised at Spire Washington Hospital and remains employed by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) on full pay, has been flagged as an ‘area of concern’ on the Spire website.
Other surgeons on the list include Leslie Irwin, who was a hand surgeon in the region, and Ian Paterson, a consultant breast surgeon, who was employed at Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston, and was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding and sentenced in 2017 to 20 years.
On the recall list, Spire says: “If you were a patient of one of these consultants and have any concerns about the care you received, please get in touch with us by phone or email.”
Amir Bhatti (Image: SUBMIT)
Mr Bhatti is currently barred from carrying out any clinical work at CDDFT while investigations continue.
Around 1,500 patient records that were seen at the breast cancer service remain under review at the trust, while Durham Police continue to investigate whether any criminal offences may have taken place.
The scandal centres on breast cancer services at CDDFT, where independent reviews identified missed cancers, delayed diagnoses, inappropriate procedures and long-running concerns about clinical practice, with the report calling it “decade-long systemic failures”.
A lot of the controversy involves Mr Bhatti, who has worked for the trust since 2005, and was first restricted from carrying out breast cancer surgery in February 2025 following concerns raised during the breast service investigation.
On his General Medical Council (GMC) profile, Mr Bhatti is still registered with a licence to practice.
According to the NHS Jobs website, breast cancer surgeons can earn a six-figure salary per year, with trust pay across the UK ranging from £109,725 to £145,478 per year.
Spire Hospital in Washington (Image: Stuart Boulton)
Mr Bhatti attempted to challenge those restrictions in the High Court earlier this year but lost.
A spokesperson for Mr Bhatti previously said that “serving the best interests of all our patients is of paramount importance” and when things go wrong “, we learn from this and make the necessary changes and improvements”.
The trust has accepted the findings of recent reviews, apologised to affected patients and said it is “profoundly sorry”, acknowledging missed cancers, delays in diagnosis, unnecessary procedures and care that fell far below the standards patients deserved.
A petition calling for a public inquiry has now gathered more than 1,500 signatures.
The campaign is calling for a national inquiry, reform of breast cancer services at the Trust and accountability for those responsible for the care of affected patients.
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, which were partly run from Spire Hospital in Washington.
A screengrab of Amir Bhatti’s name on the Spire website (Image: SPIRE)
A Spire spokesperson said: “In the outsourced breast service provided to patients of County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) at Spire Washington Hospital, patients attended for outpatient consultations and diagnostic tests only.
“All further care and treatment, including diagnosis and treatment decisions, was undertaken and delivered at the Trust with oversight from the Trust’s Multidisciplinary Team.”
Spire said it had contacted several patients who received breast care under Mr Bhatti, who is no longer practising at Spire, and that any patients with concerns can contact the hospital directly.
The listing on the Spire website reads: “Amir Bhatti; Breast surgeon who previously practised at Spire Washington Hospital.
A County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust sign (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
“Please call 0191 497 8171 between 8.30am to 7pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 6pm on Friday and 9am to 3pm on Saturday, or email spirepne@spirehealthcare.com using the subject title ‘Spire Washington Breast Care’.”
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust say significant changes have already been introduced, including additional specialist staff, revised clinical pathways and strengthened clinical leadership.
Gill Hunt, Chief Nurse at CDDFT, said the Trust fully recognises the seriousness of what has happened in breast services and the “significant impact and distress” caused to patients and families.
She said the Trust remains committed to being open and transparent about progress made and the work still ahead.
“We understand the strength of feeling that remains and why people want clear answers and confidence that learning and improvement have taken place,” she said.
“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.”