Twenty women had breasts removed unnecessarily, NHS trust admits

Figure caption, Watch: Denise (pictured), Pam and other women describe how they were failed

Twenty women underwent mastectomies unnecessarily while being treated for breast cancer, an NHS trust in north-east England has told the BBC.

They were among hundreds of patients who came to harm during treatment at the breast unit of the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT).

The admission comes in the wake of revelations about serious failures in the unit, as reported by the BBC last year .

Steve Russell, who has recently taken over as CDDFT's chief executive, says he apologises "unreservedly" for the harm the trust caused.

"There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am," he says. "What happened was utterly unacceptable."

Figure caption, Watch: Steve Russell offers an apology to women affected by CDDFT failures