A woman at the centre of the region’s ambulance ‘cover-up’ scandal has said she expects a public inquiry will still be required after it emerged a former hospitals boss is to lead a review.

The investigation into North East Ambulance Service, announced by former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, is looking into allegations paramedics changed statements to coroners to cover up medical errors where patients had died.

Concerns were raised by a whistleblower Paul Calvert, from Peterlee, who claimed there were over 90 cases he was aware of, but said it could be the ‘tip of the iceberg’.

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The Northern Echo: Dame Marianne GriffithsDame Marianne Griffiths (Image: UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SUSSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST)

NHS England has appointed Dame Marianne Griffiths, who was honoured for decades of service to the NHS, to chair the inquiry.

However, Tracey Beadle, who her 17-year-old daughter, Quinn to suicide, said the inquiry should be a judge or a barrister.

The paramedic who treated her withheld important information, including the reading from a monitor showing heart activity.

It also emerged the service changed a statement given at Quinn’s first inquest in April 2019, removing references to mistakes, such as failing to clear her airways, and adding claims that life support would ‘not have had a positive outcome’.

Mrs Beadle said: “We still think that given the severity of what has happened at NEAS still warrants a full public inquiry rather than just this review.

“We are going to go along with this review but, depending on the outcome, we still think we will be pushing for a public inquiry where people have to swear an oath.

“We would prefer it was an independent barrister or judge rather someone working for NHS England.

“It has already been reported to NHS England and they ignored it.”

Dame Marianne retired from her job as chief executive of University Hospitals Sussex, the NHS trust that runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital aged 61 last October.

She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for her dedicated NHS career spanning over 40 years.

Among many professional accolades, she has been named the HSJ (Health Service Journal) chief executive of the year.

Mrs Beadle added: “She is going to want to make the NHS look good, isn’t she?

“I think it needs to be someone from outside the NHS.

“We cautiously welcome the fact they have appointed a chair and hopefully they can give us some kind of time frame and terms of reference about what they are going to look into.

“We do have some concerns though.”

North East Ambulance Service said it would welcome ‘independent scrutiny’ when the review was announced and is now referring all communications on the matter to NHS England.

The health body confirmed the appointment of Dame Marianne on Wednesday.

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