'We knew somebody would die': Teenage patients 'ignored' before fatal NHS trust failures

Disturbing accounts from former patients and families reveal a pattern of alleged neglect and failures at mental health units run by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV). Laura Kenny, a former patient, shared her harrowing experience, stating, "We knew somebody would die… and nobody listened." She recalled warning staff and authorities about the risks, but felt their pleas were ignored.

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We knew somebody would die… and nobody listened.

Christie Harnett, a 17-year-old friend of Laura's, was one of three young women who died by suicide while under the trust's care within a few months. Nathan Evison, 19, and Laurent McNamara also died tragically. Dozens of former patients, both young and adult, have come forward with similar stories, describing a lack of empathy from staff and a severe absence of effective treatment or therapy. Many express deep-seated fears that these critical issues persist.

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We'd been warning everyone. We wrote letters to everyone we could think of saying one of us is going to die.

These accounts have fueled calls for a public inquiry, which was announced in December. However, families and former patients are expressing profound disappointment over the protracted delays in its establishment. A meeting with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on March 31 offered little clarity on who would lead the investigation, when it would commence, or its location. Alistair Smith of Ison Harrison Solicitors noted the concern over continued care by a trust under scrutiny, highlighting the apparent lack of progress in three months.

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While our clients appreciate these things take time, they are worried about the continued care being offered by a trust under scrutiny and how, in three months, there appears to be no firm developments.

The DHSC stated it is working "at pace" to appoint a chair for the inquiry, assuring that the voices of affected patients and families will be central. An independent inquiry commissioned by NHS England, focusing on the trust's treatment of young patients, published its findings in 2023. This earlier report examined Christie's death and those of two other patients, but families are pushing for a broader public inquiry to address systemic issues.

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We are committed to ensuring the voices of patients and the families affected by failures [at TEWV] are at the heart of this inquiry.