Slater and Gordon welcomes BBC documentary examining County Durham and Darlington breast cancer service failings

Slater and Gordon has welcomed a BBC documentary examining serious failings within the breast cancer service at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

The law firm says the broadcast was an important opportunity to shine further light on the experiences of women who have been affected and ensure they are heard, supported and able to secure the accountability and justice they deserve.

The documentary, shown on the BBC on Friday 18 September, shone a spotlight on breast cancer care provided at the Trust, which has been the subject of extensive scrutiny over missed or delayed cancer diagnoses, delays in treatment, clinically unnecessary surgery, failures to offer reconstruction options, cases resulting in significant and life-changing harm and other concerns about the standard of care provided to patients.

Since concerns first emerged, Slater and Gordon has been at the forefront of bringing wider attention to the scandal. Its clinical negligence team is representing a growing number of impacted women and their families, helping them navigate the fallout of the Trust’s systemic failures, pursue answers over what may have happened to them and what options are available. The firm has helped several women share their experiences publicly and hosted dedicated legal clinics in County Durham to provide free guidance and support to those concerned about their treatment.

Hundreds of cases have been reviewed, with the Trust confirming more than 1,400 women underwent surgery during the period 2023 to 2025. Figures released by the Trust in February 2026 showed at least 51 women suffered moderate or severe harm during that period, with concerns that many more women may have been affected while the wider investigation continues.

Chloe Gibson, Clinical Negligence Solicitor at Slater and Gordon, said: “We wholeheartedly welcome and support the BBC's decision to shine a further light on what happened within the County Durham and Darlington breast cancer service by investigating and broadcasting this crucial documentary. Public scrutiny of how these failings were allowed to happen is vital in a case of this scale and significance. We also hope this programme helps ensure the voices of affected women and their families, whose lives have been profoundly affected, continue to be heard.

“The findings of this documentary and ongoing investigations and reviews are deeply concerning and reflect and validate the harrowing experiences that our clients have lived through due to the severe failings within the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. They felt something had gone wrong but struggled to have their concerns acknowledged,

The physical and emotional impact and consequences of what happened to them has been devastating. A cancer diagnosis is traumatic enough without the added anguish of being left with questions about whether their cancer was diagnosed when it should have been, whether surgery they underwent was necessary, or whether they were given all of the treatment and options they should have received because their care was compromised by institutional failure.”

Slater and Gordon has previously published the experiences of several women affected by the breast cancer service:

• One client, Yvonne, was aged 80 when she underwent treatment. She subsequently learned from the Trust that there had been problems with her care and that one of the operations she underwent had been unnecessary, although she was not told which procedure it was. She described her experience of the service as being like a ‘cattle market’ and said she was left deeply distressed by the way she was treated.
• Another client, Stacey, discovered a breast lump in 2024 and underwent a biopsy which was reported as benign. The lump was subsequently removed, at which point she was told it was cancerous. Further investigations found that her cancer had progressed to stage four and had spread to her bones. Slater and Gordon is supporting Stacey in establishing what went wrong in her care and helping her seek answers.
• The firm has also represented Sarah, who underwent a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer but was not offered the reconstruction she believed would be available. The Trust subsequently admitted that the care she received was sub-standard and inappropriate.
• And Claire, who was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer, underwent a lumpectomy before being told she needed a full mastectomy because of a further lump. Slater and Gordon is supporting her after she was subsequently informed that the mastectomy was unnecessary, leaving her with significant physical and emotional consequences.

Chloe Gibson added: “Slater and Gordon has been at the absolute forefront of supporting women impacted by these failings since concerns first emerged and have worked hard to ensure their voices are heard by bringing their experiences of this scandal into the open. These individual stories demonstrate why this issue matters so much. Behind the statistics are women who trusted the health service at an incredibly vulnerable point in their lives and who are now having to live with the consequences.

“We are proud to have worked tirelessly and played a role in helping expose what appears to be one of the most significant breast care scandals in recent NHS history. However, this is far from over and our focus remains on standing alongside our clients during this deeply distressing time by remaining committed to pushing the Trust until every single one of them receives clear answers, transparency and, where failings are established, the accountability, compensation and legal justice they deserve for the harm they have suffered.

“We hope the BBC documentary encourages anyone with concerns about the treatment they received through the County Durham and Darlington breast cancer service to come forward and seek advice.”

Slater and Gordon’s clinical negligence team urges anyone who underwent breast cancer treatment under the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust who has concerns about their care to seek legal advice and support without delay.”

For help, please visit the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust Breast Cancer Service failings here to fill in the contact form or call 0330 107 6479.