A statutory public inquiry has been launched into mental health services at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust following unacceptable failings in care
Teenagers Christie Harnett (17), Emily Moore (18) and Nadia Sharif (17) all died while patients of the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust(Image: Harnett/Moore/Sharif families)
A public inquiry is set to be held at a scandal-hit North East mental health trust. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, has announced today that an inquiry will be held into the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust.
The trust has previously come under much scrutiny over recent years over its management of traumatic cases including the deaths of teenage girls in 2019 and 2020. The trust was fined £200,000 after admitting failures in the care of Christie Harnett, and another patient, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
ChronicleLive has previously reported how three teenage girls who took their own lives were let down by a staggering 119 failings within the NHS and social care. Between June 2019 and February 2020, teenagers Christie Harnett, Nadia Sharif and Emily Moore all died while inpatients under the care of TEWV. Christie and Emily were both from County Durham, while Nadia was from Middlesbrough.
Christie and Nadia were both just 17 when they took their own lives at West Lane Hospital in Teesside in June and August 2019 respectively, while Emily – previously also a patient at West Lane – had just turned 18 and spent only a single week at Lanchester Road Hospital in County Durham before her death in February 2020.
On Thursday, the Secretary of State announced that a statutory public inquiry into mental health services at the trust will be held. The announcement was made as he met with families in Darlington who have lost loved ones under the care of the trust.
‘Harrowing experiences’
There have been a number of patient deaths by suicide at the trust over the past 10 years, affecting both adults and children and the MP believes previous investigations have not been sufficiently comprehensive and not covered all the deaths in the care of the trust.
He said: “I am deeply grateful to all the families who have taken the time to speak to me and share their harrowing experiences. What happened to their loved ones is unacceptable.
“Their courageous and tireless campaigning – not only on behalf of their families but for everyone in urgent need of mental health support – has been nothing short of inspirational.
“Everyone receiving mental health care should get safe, high-quality care and be treated with dignity and respect. The care their loved ones experienced fell well short of that mark, with tragic consequences.
“Following several meetings with these families this year and after careful consideration, I have decided that in the circumstances, a statutory inquiry is the best way to ensure they get the truth and accountability they deserve.”
The inquiry will focus on uncovering failures in care at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust that have led to patients losing their lives. This will be considered separately to other ongoing inquiries into mental health services, such as the Lampard Inquiry.
It will aim to identify issues specific to the trust and make actionable recommendations to reduce the risk of similar tragic events occurring in the future.
‘Sense of relief’
Andy McDonald, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East, welcomed the news. He said: “I have been campaigning with the families for a public inquiry into these avoidable deaths in our mental health service for many years.
“Today we have a huge sense of relief and achievement reflecting years of tireless effort, but also a sense of vindication for their determination that only a public inquiry would do. The dreadful events that claimed the lives of three young women, Christie Harnett, Nadia Sharif and Emily Moore exposed a broader cultural malaise at Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust and many more families found themselves grieving the loss of their loved ones.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting leaves 10 Downing Street (Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty)
“We now know that there have been numerous patients and families disastrously failed and it is imperative that every family affected gets to the truth of what happened and how the system let them and their loved ones down so very badly. I have made repeated representations to health ministers in previous governments but sadly those pleas fell on deaf ears.
“Despite pressing the previous government on the families’ entitlement to truth, justice and accountability, those Ministers simply refused to listen. I am therefore extremely grateful to Wes Streeting. He has listened to what I and my parliamentary colleagues have had to say and much more importantly has listened to the families.
“Wes has spent considerable time hearing their accounts and I know they will be relieved that what they have been pleading for has come to pass with the announcement of the public inquiry. Last month the Labour Government introduced the Public Accountability Bill – referred to as the Hillsborough Law – promising a new beginning to the duty of candour in public life. Today’s announcement affirms our commitment to that promise.”
He added: “It is imperative that all of our public services are held to account and that we better understand the prevalence and the development of these conditions and the very serious issues of the pressures, particularly which young people are placed under, and wider considerations to ensure early and effective interventions in the way our mental health services react and respond.
“I acknowledge the trust’s efforts to prevent future failures and the important work now being done under its new Chief Executive, Alison Smith, but it is imperative that the families have the benefit of the public inquiry which will also enable the Trust to learn and embed the improvements in practice for the future that are clearly needed if our community is to have confidence in its Mental Health services.
“This has been a long hard fight to get to this day and the inquiry ahead will be painful but sadly it is very necessary. Today’s sense of relief and vindication reflects the families’ unwavering determination to secure this inquiry.”
Trust will ‘support process’
Earlier this year, Brent Kilmurray, who has led the trust for almost five years, announced he would be moving on to the role of chief executive at Mid Yorkshire NHS Teaching Trust. Alison Smith, chief executive of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust said: “First and foremost, I extend my deepest sympathy to everyone affected by these tragic losses.
“With the public inquiry now confirmed, we will fully support the process with transparency, openness and humility. Above all, we are committed to listening, reflecting, and taking meaningful action to ensure that we continually improve as an organisation.”