Rebuild Trust was formed in 2021 following the tragic deaths of patients whilst they were in the care of Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).  We are made up of relatives, friends and patients (both former and current) who have tragically lost loved ones or have experienced grave deterioration in our own or our loved one’s mental health.  We have come together through shared experiences and a growing concern for the past and present practices at TEWV.

These families along with many others have now united with a common goal to Rebuild Trust and  reduce the number of deaths and serious patient safety incidents throughout the Trust.

The purpose of forming this group is to give a collective voice to those individuals and to lobby for a public inquiry into the practices at TEWV.

We strongly believe that without a fully transparent inquiry lessons will not be learned, more lives will be lost and the ever increasing distrust of our community’s health service will dissuade people from seeking the help they so desperately need.

Now is the time to come together and push for change to ensure we have trust and confidence, that appropriate and adequate ‘help’ is available for our local community and the wider community going forward. Crucially we do not want other families to suffer like so many have before.

In the past a large number of families have approached and complained to TEWV, raising concerns regarding the treatment of their loved ones. The Trust assure families that improvements will be made and new processes put in place. Sadly, this has not happened in the majority of cases and the same failings are being repeated time and time again.

Collective voice

It was highlighted early on that these individuals would achieve very little alone, and due to press coverage reporting similar stories of families who had lost loved ones, it became apparent that there were a number of families who are in a similar position and are aware of the failings and suffering of patients within the Trust.

David Moore, the father of Emily Moore who tragically died whilst an inpatient at Lanchester Road Hospital, set up a Facebook Group for individuals pushing for vital changes within the Trust. This Facebook Group quickly gained traction, other groups started to appear on different social media platforms and it was instantly obvious that failings within the Trust were on a larger scale than first realised.

Hundreds of families are now aware that they are not alone. Many have kindly provided their experiences either as a patient of TEWV or as a relative of a patient of TEWV. These families refuse to give up and are determined to see major changes within the Trust which they believe is currently not fit for purpose.

Closure of West Lane Hospital - Due to Inadequacies

West Lane Hospital, which offered inpatient and outpatient Children’s Mental Health Services was closed down by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2019 after the tragic deaths of  Christie Harnett and Nadia Sharif who died as inpatients at West Lane within a couple months of each other. Emily Moore had also been a patient at this facility just several months prior to her death. The CQC stated that the care provided at West Lane was ‘inadequate’ and that ‘patients were at high risk of avoidable harm’. This is thought to be the first time that the CQC have ever closed an NHS Children’s Mental Health Hospital due to concerns. You can read more regarding the closure of West Lane Hospital here, http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/17973311.final-report-west-lane-hospital-middlesbrough-released-cqc/

There are currently investigations looking into the failings of the Trust whereby numerous patients, including children, have died whilst receiving in-patient care or shortly after being discharged from in-patient services. A high number of patients suffered severe harm whilst as a patient under the Trust and as a result have been left with lifelong physical and psychological injuries. Investigations alone are not enough as there needs to be transparency and a full public injury to truly unveil how so many incidents have occurred; and so many young lives have been lost or severely impacted.

We, as family members who have lost a loved one, have suffered ourselves or have watched a loved one suffer unnecessarily are campaigning for a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005, where witnesses would be required to give evidence on oath and in public, holding people within the Trust to account.

We need to put a stop to this before more innocent people lose their lives. We need to Rebuild Trust.

Our main aims

• Lobby for a Public Inquiry https://www.change.org/p/a-public-inquiry-into-tewv-nhs-foundation-trust-to-call-for-change-before-more-lives-are-tragically-lost
• Push for change;
• Prevent future deaths;
• Reduce the number of patient safety incidents throughout the Trust;
• To provide support, advice and assistance to patients, former patients and relatives of patients;
• Share our experiences to determine common failures of the Trust;
• Make the Trust a more pleasant and rewarding experience for service users and their families;
• Make hospitals within the trust safe for service users.