A "devastated" County Durham mum of two fears her terminal breast cancer could have been diagnosed much earlier after being told to “stop worrying”.
Sue Spencer, 59, from Burnhope, spent eight years worrying her cancer had returned after finding a lump in her left breast in 2016.
The mum-of-two was told there was no cause for concern but was later struck down with pain.
In 2024 she was diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer, which she believes could have been caught sooner.
“To be told I had terminal cancer, which had spread from my breast, having been reassured so many times that all was ok, been told to stop panicking, and made to feel paranoid, was devastating,” Sue, a former mental health nurse, said.
She was first treated by the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust when diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. Doctors removed a lump from her right breast before she later had a mastectomy and reconstruction.
In 2016, Sue feared her cancer had returned after finding a lump in her left breast, but Dr Amir Bhatti, the Trust’s clinical lead for breast services, told her there was no cause for concern.
Dr Bhatti carried out a fine-needle aspiration (FNA) test, which gave an ‘indeterminate result’, but discharged Sue and told her she was cancer-free.
The Trust has admitted Dr Bhatti should not have carried out the FNA in 2016 and that the unclear result should have led to a core biopsy.
Sue Spencer (Image: SUBMIT)
From around 2018, Sue suffered severe left-breast pain and became so tired and breathless that she struggled to climb the stairs.
Her GP referred her back to the breast clinic, where she was told her mammogram was clear.
She says she returned with continuing pain in 2020 and 2022, but was told the tests showed no change, and she did not have breast cancer.
In February 2024, Sue went to hospital for diverticulitis tests, but scans raised concerns about her lungs.
Further tests revealed seven tumours, and Sue was told she had incurable stage 4 breast cancer that had spread to the lining of her lungs.
Sue recently raised concerns with the Trust after a patient-safety investigation found around 80 per cent of reviewed FNA samples were inadequate, prompting the Trust to discontinue the test last year.
Amir Bhatti (Image: SUBMIT)
“I was really worried, particularly from 2018 onwards as I had continuing pain in my left breast, and I convinced myself the cancer had come back. If I brushed my breast against anything, it hurt, and I couldn’t bear to wear a bra.
“Despite this, at each test I was told there had been no change, and after my third mammogram in 2022 Dr Bhatti said to me that he didn’t want to see me again, in a way which didn’t come across as reassuring, but more dismissive.
Sue Spencer (Image: SUBMIT)
“I remember another member of the team saying to me that I had to stop worrying also. They said that Dr Bhatti knew what he was doing as he was one of the very best at his job, and that I was effectively taking up precious time that other women needed.
“I came away feeling guilty, and I told myself then that I’d have to stop worrying about it and not go back requesting more tests.
“The cancer was only found as I was admitted to hospital for tests linked to my diverticulitis.
“They came to me and said they needed to scan my lungs, and I knew it would be bad news, but to be told it was terminal was completely devastating.
“The only time I cried though was when they said the cancer had spread from my breast, and that they’d have to refer me back to Mr Bhatti. I was very apprehensive about seeing him again.”
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust recently announced plans to extend an external independent review of patient treatment potentially as far back as 2015, potentially affecting around 4,500 patients.
It follows initial reviews of 539 breast cancer cases between January 2023 and February 2025, which have identified 321 cases of harm.
One patient is known to have died, and 20 women have so far been identified as having unnecessarily had a mastectomy.
After completing its 2023-2025 review, the Trust will extend it year by year, starting with 2022 and working back to 2015.
Sue Spencer, 59, from Burnhope, Durham (Image: SUBMIT)
Concerns about the service had been raised for years: the Care Quality Commission flagged delayed diagnoses and serious incidents in 2018, while an NHS programme identified high mastectomy and re-excision rates in 2019.
Many patients were seen at private clinics run by Cathedral Surgical Services and Durham Surgical Services, where Dr Bhatti was a director.
The Trust paid for each patient while Dr Bhatti remained its consultant clinical lead in breast surgery.
An independent governance review published last November said the arrangement created a ‘potential conflict of interest’ and a ‘clear financial incentive’ to see more patients.
Mr Bhatti was restricted from performing breast cancer surgery by the Trust in February of last year, but he remains employed by the Trust on full pay.
Durham Police, supported by the National Crime Agency, is investigating whether any criminal offences were committed.
Sue is receiving treatment to stop the cancer spreading and wonders whether an earlier diagnosis could have changed the outcome.
“It’s all had such a huge impact on my life. I had to quit work as I just wasn’t well enough, and I’m now in pain which affects my sleep, and it's often so bad in the morning I can’t get up until I’ve had pain relief,” she said.
“My mind just keeps going back to the way Mr Bhatti spoke to me, and how dismissive he was. Women shouldn’t be left feeling dismissed and ignored when they have concerns. They have lived in their bodies and know when something feels wrong.
“I think we all need answers about our own care and treatment, but also about why Mr Bhatti’s private clinics were on a pay per patient basis, and why there was no effective clinical governance and oversight to prevent harm happening."
Rachel O’Connor of Hudgell Solicitors represents Sue and many other women caught up in the review.
Read more
Surgeon at centre of breast cancer scandal now on sick leave and remains on full pay
King Charles urged to strip NHS boss of OBE after breast cancer scandal
Calls grow to strip former County Durham NHS boss of 'slap in the face' OBE
Rachel O'Connor, from Hudgells (Image: Neil Holmes/HUDGELLS)
She is requesting Sue’s medical records and instructing independent experts to assess the treatment and decisions made.
Hudgell Solicitors is hosting free legal clinics for breast cancer patients treated by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust who are affected by the investigations.
If you were treated by the Trust’s breast cancer team and have concerns, email iput@hudgellsolicitors.co.uk or call 0333 060 8194.