Grieving families launch fresh campaign for public inquiry into Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust
Casey Tremain, Christie Harnett's grandmother
Grieving families who lost three loved ones in the care of a troubled mental health trust have launched a fresh push for a public inquiry.
Christie Harnett, 17, Nadia Sharif, 17, and Emily Moore, 18, died within an eight month period at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust facilities.
All three had been treated by TEWV for several years - and a long-running independent investigation into their deaths is continuing.
Now family-run pressure group "Rebuild Trust" has renewed pleas for a public inquiry into TEWV in the wake of their painful losses.
A new website sharing the stories of the three girls has been set up - as well as a petition to 'force a full and transparent investigation into what the families say were repeated failings and missed opportunities.
Leaflets on the campaign are set to be handed out at Middlesbrough's Tuesday night FA Cup fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
Emily died in February 2020 after being found unresponsive at Lanchester Road Hospital, in County Durham.
She had previously been a patient at West Lane - where her dad, David, had protested outside the hospital with a banner at the level of care she was receiving.
Christie and Nadia died while in the care of West Lane Hospital in 2019.
The Care Quality Commission visited wards and raised serious concerns that same year - rating child and adolescent mental health wards "inadequate" after uncovering "low staffing, a poor culture, and a significant number of self-harming incidents".
Wards were eventually closed down with responsibility handed to Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust (CNTW) in 2020, and the hospital's name changed to Acklam Road last year.
The pressure group remains concerned about failings flagged up in recent CQC inspections - with fears patients and their families are still being failed and aren't being listened to.
A Rebuild Trust statement added: "We have become united by our grief and determined that their deaths will not have been in vain, and the substandard care they were subject to will not continue."
Chief executive Brent Kilmurray took over the top job at the trust in June 2020.
In response to the families, he said: "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of Nadia, Christie, and Emily for the loss they have suffered, and we are deeply sorry.
"We are fully cooperating with an independent investigation, commissioned by NHS England and Improvement.
"Since 2019 we have made significant changes both in personnel and how we treat those in our care. We know compassion and respect needs to be at the centre of everything we do.
"However, there remain challenges to overcome, not least in changing our culture and relieving staffing pressures.
"These are not quick fixes and come at a time when the demand for mental health services across the country is peaking.
"We know what needs to be done and I promise the families that we are working extremely hard to deliver the changes they have every right to expect."
Watch the full report from ITV's Rachel Bullock.