Twenty women had breasts removed needlessly, says NHS trust

• An NHS trust has identified 20 women who underwent unnecessary breast removal surgery, representing a serious clinical governance failure requiring immediate investigation and accountability
• The trust leadership has issued an unreserved apology, indicating systemic issues in surgical decision-making that demand urgent review of diagnostic and consent protocols
• This case highlights the critical need for robust second-opinion procedures and multidisciplinary team review before elective mastectomy to prevent similar preventable harm

The trust's new chief executive says he apologises unreservedly - "What happened was utterly unacceptable."

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