A County Durham NHS trust has apologised after a damning report into its breast surgery service found cancers were missed and unnecessary procedures carried out.

The shocking independent review has laid bare a decade of systematic failures at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT).

It found patients experienced avoidable harm due to outdated clinical practices, unnecessary surgeries, missed diagnosis, and poor communication.

It also found high-risk contracts were mismanaged and breached, repeated warnings were ignored, and an environment of low trust, suppressed whistleblowing, and high staff turnover.

New interim chair Alison Marshall and chief executive Steve Russell said they were “deeply sorry for the distress, pain and loss of trust”, admitting the trust “l

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