Last week I welcomed the news that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, has launched a public inquiry into NHS trust Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).

The trust has come under scrutiny in recent years due to concerns about the standard of mental health treatment provided. Three teenagers committed suicide whilst in the trust’s care between June 2019 and February 2020.

Wes Streeting made the announcement after meeting with families in Darlington who have lost loved ones whilst under care of the trust and have been campaigning for a statutory inquiry for many years.

He acknowledged that in some cases “the care their loved ones experienced fell well short of that mark with tragic consequences.”

Based on these concerns, Wes Streeting has decided that a statutory inquiry is the best way to ensure families “get the truth and accountability they deserve.”

The aim of the inquiry is to identify issues specific to TEWV and make recommendations for improvements to reduce the risk of further failures and avoidable deaths occurring in the future.

I am currently representing several clients who have suffered catastrophic life-changing injuries due to suicide attempts whilst under the care of NHS psychiatric facilities. I therefore welcome the news of this public inquiry as it is vital that our mental health services are held to account and standards are raised nationwide.

Those suffering with mental health issues are some of the most vulnerable in our communities and they are entitled to have confidence that they will receive timely and appropriate treatment when under supervision.