Outrage over CDDFT surgeon blocked from patients but on full pay

Amir Bhatti, the former clinical lead for breast surgery at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT), is under investigation by the Trust and is restricted from any clinical duties.

While the Trust has confirmed he is "not seeing patients or providing any clinical care or treatment", he remains in post on full pay, sparking disbelief among his former patients.

Mr Amir Bhatti (Image: SUPPLIED)

The NHS investigation was triggered by a damning Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) report in March 2025, which highlighted delayed diagnoses, "excessive or unnecessary surgery", and "failures to properly consider or discuss treatment options", including breast-conserving surgery and reconstruction among the NHS service.

Nearly 1,500 patient cases have already been flagged for review by the Trust, with early findings showing 51 women suffered “moderate or severe” harm, roughly one in six cases examined so far.

Last week, Durham Police confirmed that it is holding an active criminal investigation into concerns surrounding CDDFT, noting that officers are working to “establish the facts” and determine whether any crimes have taken place.

The County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

John Lowther, a specialist clinical negligence solicitor at Slater and Gordon in the North East, said the involvement of police marked a critical turning point.

He said: “We welcome the fact that this investigation is moving forward.

"With the involvement of Durham Police, we trust that no stone will be left unturned in getting to the bottom of exactly what has happened within the Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service.

“The very poor standards of care, treatment and compassion so many women have received within this service is something which quite rightly has provoked outrage.

Darlington Memorial Hospital sign (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“At a time in their lives when women were at their most vulnerable, to be treated in such an awful manner is absolutely unacceptable.

"We are absolutely committed to supporting them in every way possible as they now pursue answers and accountability.”

Former patients have also voiced anger that Mr Bhatti remains employed despite the scale of the scandal.

Yvonne, 85, from Belmont, Durham, said she was left waiting for hours for appointments, only to be seen briefly.

Yvonne, from Belmont, Durham (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“I was only seen for two minutes in total,” she said.

“No one should go through the experiences I did, and the Trust, rightly, should be investigating everything that took place, but I'm completely shocked that he's still working at the Trust.

"I feel like the service has massively improved and I no longer fear going to hospital appointments within the breast cancer service, but, at one time, I was terrified."

Mary Foy, MP for the City of Durham, said the police investigation came as “no surprise” given the accounts she has heard from affected families.

City of Durham MP, Mary Foy (Image: PARLIAMENT)

She said: “From discussions I've had with patients who have either lost loved ones, or suffered sub-standard care, it has come as no surprise to me that Durham Constabulary is now involved.

"This scandal has shone the brightest spotlight on what can go horrifically wrong when NHS services are outsourced to private providers and the flaws in LLP agreements where individuals can work in partnership for the NHS and private practices.

"The fact that CDDFT paid nearly £6m over six years to private out-of-hours clinics run by one of its own breast cancer surgeons, who is also one of the key individuals who has been named since this scandal broke, is a damning indictment of how murky these public/private agreements can turn, and how dysfunctional the breast surgery services department had become.

The University of North Durham Hospital (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

"I will continue to push this issue at the very top of the Government.

"As a breast cancer survivor myself, my heart breaks for the women and families who suffered inferior care and are now having to relive their suffering during this process.

"I will continue to advocate for all my constituents who have been in touch, and I hope they all see justice, with those responsible held accountable."

Investigations have revealed that between 2022 and 2024, around 8,000 of 13,500 breast cancer patients were seen in outsourced clinics operating on a “pay-per-patient” basis.

Some of these clinics were run at Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham, and Spire Hospital Washington, through companies, including Durham Surgical Services, of which Mr Bhatti was a director.

Over six years, an investigation found that the Trust paid nearly £6 million to such private out-of-hours services.

Darlington Memorial Hospital (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Independent reviews from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) have painted a deeply troubling picture of the service.

Appointments were reportedly cut to just ten minutes, well below the recommended standard, leaving patients feeling "rushed and unsupported".

The review found governance arrangements were “inadequate” and failed to ensure patient safety, with warnings and red flags going unaddressed for years.

CDDFT has acknowledged failings and says it is cooperating fully with the police.

Acting Medical Director Dr Shafie Kammaruddin confirmed: “Mr Bhatti is currently restricted from any clinical duties. This means that he is not seeing patients or providing any clinical care or treatment.

"We recognise the concerns being raised and understand the importance of transparency. We are taking the concerns seriously, and are following the appropriate processes.

"As part of the Trust’s ongoing review into the breast surgery service, there is an active investigation underway.

"While this process is ongoing, we are not able to share further detail.  We will take account of any further information we receive and will support the police with any information they require.”

The Trust added that full pay during investigations is in line with employment policies, and said it would not comment further on individual matters.

It has apologised to affected patients and says the service has undergone a “complete review and redesign”, with new leadership and systems now in place.

With hundreds of cases still unresolved and reviews ongoing, pressure is growing for a full public inquiry into the scandal from former patients, MPs and legal representatives.

Campaigners and legal teams argue the current investigation may not go back far enough, with some cases dating back to at least 2019, and concerns that the true scale of harm could be wider.