MPs praised the courage of families who channelled their grief into a fight for justice after the Health Secretary agreed to their demands for a public inquiry.
A full statutory inquiry will be held into the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) mental health trust, Wes Streeting announced today (December 11), after years of calls for action over what he described as its “negligence and failure”.
The region’s MPs joined him in praising families who have spent years campaigning, saying the probe is happening because of them.
MP for Darlington Lola McEvoy branded the families “incredible”.
She told the Echo: “They have been through such severely traumatic experiences, things you wouldn’t wish on anyone, and they’ve fought for what’s right.
“To get a statutory inquiry is very, very difficult, and they’ve achieved it.
“It takes great personal grit and determination, and it comes at a cost when these people are standing up for their children at their own expense, it’s very difficult.
“I said to some of the families before, I know it’s right that they should have a statutory inquiry, but it was never a given.
“There are lots of things that have gone very badly wrong and inquiries that are needed and won’t happen. That is the difference. They’ve got it, they’ve won it.
“Being right isn’t always enough. To get the change through and deliver this for these families, but also for everybody to have confidence in our mental health services, is really important.”
The Department of Health said too many people have experienced care well below the high standard deserved and failings had led to a “devastating loss of life and unimaginable grief for multiple families”.
City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy added: “It’s because of their tenacity and their courage and bravery and the memory of their loved ones that this has happened.
“I think it’s very long overdue, but I want to thank the Secretary of State for deciding to hold this public inquiry, and you could see and hear by the gratefulness of the parents and loved ones in the room how long they’ve waited.
“We’ve heard heartbreaking stories about the lack of care to people’s loved ones, and the lack of care towards those families once their loved ones had died. Those responsible need to be held to account.
“I’m sure the emotion and these stories are one of the reasons Mr Streeting has decided to hold this inquiry.
During an hour-and-a-half meeting in Darlington, Mr Streeting heard from more than 20 families who lost loved ones while under TEWV’s care.
He first met families in February when some travelled to London, with others joining via video link from Middlesbrough, to share their stories. At the time, he said they had brought a “strong case” to him.
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said: "Today’s sense of relief and vindication reflects the families’ unwavering determination to secure this inquiry.
“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
"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.
"We now know that there have been numerous patients and families disastrously failed, and it is imperative 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.
Read more
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- Families praised as public inquiry to probe years of 'negligence and failure' at TEWV
"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.”
Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor MP Alan Strickland added: “The families have shown massive courage over many years in campaigning for a public inquiry.
“As MPs we were all crying listening to the stories, what some of these families and their relatives have been through. We need to get to the truth and there needs to be no hiding place."
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