A judge has been appointed to lead the public inquiry into mental health care provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).
His Honour Judge John Potter will chair the statutory inquiry, which is due to begin on Monday 21 September. It follows concerns about patient safety and care at the trust, including a number of patient deaths and serious incidents.
TEWV provides mental health services across North Yorkshire as well as other parts of the North East. The inquiry is expected to examine what went wrong and recommend changes to improve patient safety.
Law firm Ison Harrison, which represents hundreds of patients and bereaved families affected by the trust’s care, welcomed the appointment. It said some families were frustrated by the time taken to appoint a chair after the Government announced the inquiry.
Sarah Magson, a partner at Ison Harrison, said:
“We welcome the appointment of His Honour Judge John Potter and hope this marks a significant step forward for the inquiry and the many individuals and families who have fought so hard to ensure their voices are heard.
“Whilst today's announcement is positive, it comes after many months of uncertainty and delay for families who were originally assured that the inquiry would progress at pace.”
Judge Potter is a retired Circuit Judge and former Deputy Judge of the Court of Appeal’s Criminal Division.
He has indicated that meeting people affected by the trust’s care will be an early priority.
The inquiry’s terms of reference, which will set out the issues it will investigate, have yet to be developed.
Ms Magson said families should be “placed firmly at the heart of the inquiry process” as that work begins.
The trust’s published information confirms that its services extend across North Yorkshire.
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