Patient safety recall at County Durham & Darlington

We are currently investigating concerns across three areas of care at the Trust: breast cancer services, colorectal surgery, and general surgery.

In breast cancer services, an independent Royal College of Surgeons review raised concerns about the service operating at both University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital. The Trust has confirmed that hundreds of patient cases are already being examined, and the review may ultimately involve thousands of women who received treatment through the service.

In colorectal surgery, a Patient Safety Incident Investigation has raised concerns including delays in treatment, the appropriateness of investigations and interventions, decisions to form a stoma, and surgical error. Surgeons involved have voluntarily withdrawn from performing specific procedures.

In general surgery, the Trust has identified cases where bowel injuries occurred during routine surgery. An internal investigation found this was not an isolated incident, and the injuries were attributed to surgical error.

This page is updated on an ongoing basis as new information emerges.

To have a valid medical negligence claim, two things generally need to be established: first, that the care you received fell below the standard a reasonably competent medical professional would have provided; and second, that this caused you harm you would not otherwise have suffered.

If you were treated at County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust and you are concerned about the standard of your care, or if you have been contacted by the Trust as part of its patient recall, it is worth speaking to us. We will listen carefully to your experience and give you an honest view of whether you have a case.

In most medical negligence cases, you have three years from the date of the negligence, or from the date you knew, or should reasonably have known, that negligence may have caused your injury, to start a claim. This is known as the limitation period.

There are some exceptions to this rule. For example, different rules apply where the person affected lacks mental capacity, or where the patient was under 18 at the time of negligence.

If you are concerned about time limits, please get in touch as soon as possible. We will advise you on your specific situation.

A group action, sometimes called a multi-party claim or group litigation, is where a number of individuals bring claims arising from the same or similar circumstances. In this case, the shared circumstances are concerns about the standard of care provided at County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust.

Each person in a group action still has their own individual claim, assessed on its own facts. Being part of a group action does not mean your case is treated as identical to everyone else’s. However, bringing claims together can be more efficient and means that findings relevant to the group as a whole can benefit all claimants.

Our specialists will make sure your individual circumstances are fully understood and properly represented.

In a medical negligence claim, the key evidence typically includes your medical records from the Trust, along with independent expert opinion on whether the care you received fell below an acceptable standard and whether that caused your injury or made your condition worse.

You do not need to gather this evidence yourself. If you instruct us, we will obtain your medical records and appoint the appropriate independent medical experts on your behalf. We will take on the complexity so you can focus on your recovery.

Medical negligence claims, and group actions in particular, can take time to resolve. The timeline depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of your individual case, the pace of the Trust’s own investigation, and whether the case is disputed.

We will keep you informed at every stage and give you realistic guidance on timescales as your case progresses. We will never leave you wondering what is happening.

We handle medical negligence group action claims on a No Win No Fee basis. This means you will not have to pay our legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. We will explain the funding arrangement clearly at the outset so you know exactly where you stand before you commit to anything.