Ripon MP, Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE, has welcomed the announcement by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting of a statutory inquiry into mental health services provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).
The inquiry follows multiple suicides of people under the care of TEWV and sustained campaigning by bereaved families and MPs. Its purpose is to provide truth and accountability for families and to make recommendations to reduce future risk.
Commenting, Julian said, "This inquiry is an essential step in addressing serious concerns about mental health care at TEWV. Families have shown extraordinary courage and persistence in seeking answers, and this process must deliver the truth they deserve. My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones and those affected."
Officials will now work with families and the Trust to appoint a Chair and agree terms of reference. A Written Ministerial Statement has been laid in Parliament today.
