Following on from our recent article in respect of serious failings in breast care provided by the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT), Hospital chiefs at the Trust have now agreed to extent the scope of their investigation so that it includes cases dating back to 2015.

The initial focus was between January 2023 and February 2025; however, after mounting pressure to look much further back in time, the board of CDDFT have agreed to carry out a wider investigation. The widened scope means that the Trust will review the care provided to a further 4,500 patients, which it is estimated will take 5 years to complete.

It was decided to extend the scope to 2015 as concerns were first raised in 2015 after a “service reconfiguration” and the loss of breast surgical trainee posts. In the years that followed, patients and organisations including the Northern Cancer Alliance, the Care Quality Commission and NHS England repeatedly raised concerns about the Trust which have only recently been heeded.

Chair of the board for CDDFT, Alison Marshall, said: “I would like to offer a sincere apology to all the women and their families who have been affected by the failings in our breast services.”

“I can’t imagine the impact that has had.”

She said the trust could “not turn back the clock”, but promised it would be “open, honest and transparent about what went wrong.”

If you or a loved one have received breast care from the CDDFT dating back as far as 2015 and have concerns that the care may not have been of the standard you were entitled to expert, please contact our experienced team to discuss how we may be able to assist.