Women share devastating experiences of poor care from breast cancer service

The service, which is delivered from University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital, is under investigation following an independent report from the Royal College of Surgeons raising concerns over cases dating back to at least 2019.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that hundreds of cases are currently being looked at – but with the investigation continuing to develop, this could ultimately include thousands of women from across County Durham who have been treated by the Breast Cancer Service.

The Trust has not given any timescales for how long its investigation is set to last, meaning women face an ongoing wait for answers over the failings in their care.

Law firm Slater and Gordon has seen a surge in enquiries from women concerned about the care they received from the Breast Cancer Service, who have shared stories of how their lives have been devastated as a result.

Complaints of an impersonal approach, alongside a lack of compassion or empathy from medics, have become common features of stories told by women who were already vulnerable due to their cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Slater and Gordon is acting for a growing number of women who have suffered life-changing consequences from their care at Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service.

At a legal clinic held by the law firm in Durham earlier in the year, women and families attended in significant numbers to speak with Slater and Gordon’s specialist clinical negligence lawyers in person, and understand more about their legal position.

“The scale of this investigation is vast, and will no doubt involve hundreds – if not thousands – of women. This is without doubt a hugely concerning issue for this region, and particularly for those women who have depended on this service for their care,” says Chloe Gibson, a solicitor who is representing several women who have been impacted by Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service.

“Women who are coming to us have suffered greatly as a result of the care they received. Their cases are absolutely devastating and have been life-changing for them and their families. At a time when these women were already trying to cope with the trauma of a cancer diagnosis, to then suffer the levels of care they have done is truly horrific and absolutely unacceptable.

“We will work tirelessly on behalf of the growing numbers of women who are coming to us, to help them find the answers they have around what went so wrong in their care, and to support them in finding accountability over what has happened.”