A health trust has faced further criticism from a former patient after a damning report criticised it over the deaths of three teenagers. 

An investigation into concerns around mental health provision at West Lane Hospital in Middlesbrough detailed a campaign of alleged bullying among staff and failure to protect patients.

Investigators described a chaotic leadership structure at Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust (TEWV) and said the staff response to self-harm was “negative and punitive”, while some patients were dragged along the floor in an “excessive and inappropriate” form of restraint. It followed the tragic deaths of Christie Harnett and Nadia Sharif, both 17, and Emily Moore, 18, who died from suicide while being treated by the trust. 

The shocking findings prompted Christine Fitzgerald to speak out about the several “fundamental errors” she discovered during her “chaotic” stay under the trust’s supervision in the hope of helping others know they are not alone. The 60-year-old was admitted to Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham, where Emily Moore took her own life, for one week in March 2021 and found her experience corroborated the findings of recent independent investigations. 

Read more: 'Failures' exposed at West Lane Hospital before deaths of three girls

Ms Fitzgerald said she was admitted to the hospital after falling ill following a Covid vaccination, which she likened to a sudden onset of paranoia. One of the older women on the unit, she admits she was more fortunate than others but was alarmed at how younger patients were treated. She said: “While I was there, I saw some fundamental errors. To see young vulnerable women take their own lives, it’s awful to think how such errors are made. If I’d been more vulnerable or ill it could have been very different.

“It was chaotic. The only people that helped me were other patients. Items which I could use to self-harm, belts and laces, were not taken off me when I entered. They didn’t investigate whether I had any underlying health conditions.” 

Despite her alleged treatment from staff, Ms Fitzgerald said there was a strong camaraderie among patients who helped and looked out for each other. 

“It’s difficult to see them saying things are improving but it hasn’t changed,” she added. “When you try to engage and give them your perspective you're stonewalled and not listened to, it’s not a good place to be. 

“Mine is an unusual case and it’s not as extreme where people have been subjected to violence or excessive restraint but it’s all part of a picture of what was going on at the time. I don’t feel like they’ve moved on, learnt lessons or listened to service users. I don’t think anyone is interested in learning.”

TEWV said it is committed to providing the best experience possible for patients and has invested heavily in improving patient and staff experience. 

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Patrick Scott, managing director of the Durham, Tees Valley and Forensics care group at TEWV said: “We are really sorry that Christine didn’t receive the level of care that she expected from us. We take complaints about our services very seriously and would encourage anyone who’s not had a good experience to contact our patient advice and liaison service (PALS). This means we can look into any concerns and make sure they are shared with the relevant teams to inform future improvements.

“Our teams carry out robust risk assessments for everyone in our care, working with patients to keep them safe.

“We’re committed to providing a great experience for patients and have an unrelenting focus on safety and quality in our Trust. Nearly £8 million has been spent on making our wards safer since 2019 including new technology that supports staff to monitor patients and keep them safe.”