An NHS trust has recruited more doctors to look for failings into its care for former breast cancer patients.<\/p>\n
A report last year<\/a> into County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) found unnecessary surgeries were carried out, cancers were missed and poor standards of care were delivered within its breast cancer care services.<\/p>\n The trust has now said it has so far reviewed 500 cases from between 2023 and February 2025. Of these, it found one person had died<\/a> due to its failings, 19 has faced severe harm and 55 had experienced moderate harm.<\/p>\n It said three oncoplastic breast surgeons had been hired to speed up the review process \u2013 taking its current team of reviewers to nine.<\/p>\n The trust still has about 1,000 cases to review. These are focused on treatment carried out at the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital.<\/p>\n It said it would provide a clearer idea of when this process would be complete in September.<\/p>\n In a report, CDDFT said three of the 75 patients it had identified as having been harmed by it treatments could not be contacted “despite sustained efforts”.<\/p>\n It also said breast cancer waiting times at its service were still “too high”<\/a> at about six weeks on average.<\/p>\n It said this was due to a range of issues including a lack of radiology staff and equipment. <\/p>\n But it noted that the Northern Cancer Alliance had said its service was performing “in line with, or better than, regional peers”.<\/p>\n It said its main aim now to was increase the service’s capacity and its sustainability. <\/p>\n Patient caps to the service would be lifted from 90 a week to 100 in September, it added.<\/p>\n Follow BBC North East on X, external<\/a>, Facebook, external<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> and Instagram, external<\/a>. <\/p>\n