In a poignant gathering, families and former patients who say they were “failed” by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust are meeting to discuss the issues they want addressed in an upcoming public inquiry. The inquiry, announced last month by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, aims to “uncover failures in care and look at the concerning number of patient deaths by suicide at the trust over the past 10 years.”
The families have been at the forefront of the campaign for this inquiry, driven by the tragic deaths of three teenagers – Christie Harnett and Nadia Sharif, both 17, and Emily Moore, 18 – who were all treated at the trust’s West Lane Hospital in Middlesbrough and took their own lives within months of each other.
Solicitor Alistair Smith, representing the families, expressed their hope that the inquiry will bring about “permanent and radical change.” Among those set to attend the meeting in Middlesbrough is Kate, a former teenage patient at West Lane Hospital who says she was “haunted” by the experiences she witnessed and endured there, leading to self-harm and lasting scars.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust has pledged to “fully support the process with transparency, openness and humility,” acknowledging the need to listen, reflect and take meaningful action to improve the experiences of patients, families, carers and staff.
This inquiry comes in the wake of a critical report that described the West Lane Hospital unit as “chaotic and unsafe,” a reality that Kate and others say they experienced firsthand. The families are determined to ensure that the voices of those who have suffered are heard, and that tangible changes are implemented to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
As the families and former patients gather to shape the scope of the inquiry, the nation watches with a heavy heart, hoping that this investigation will finally bring the answers and reforms needed to restore trust and safeguard the well-being of vulnerable individuals within the NHS.
