Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust prosecuted after three patients died

A intelligence wellness spot is to beryllium prosecuted aft 3 patients died successful its care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is bringing charges against the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust.

It is thought they subordinate to the deaths of Christie Harnett, 17, Emily Moore, 18, and a 3rd person.

The spot is said to person failed "to supply harmless attraction and treatment" which exposed patients to "significant hazard of avoidable harm".

Both young women had antecedently been treated astatine West Lane Hospital successful Middlesbrough, which was closed down by inspectors aft important concerns were raised successful 2019.

Miss Moore, from Shildon, died aft taking her ain beingness astatine Lanchester Road Hospital successful Durham successful 2020. Both had analyzable intelligence wellness issues and took their ain lives.

It is not known who the 3rd idiosyncratic is.

In June past year, the CQC, which regulates wellness and societal attraction services successful England, said it was prosecuting the spot implicit its nonaccomplishment to support Miss Harnett.

At the time, it said the circumstances surrounding the decease meant the CQC had looked "at each the grounds to find if it meets the threshold for the CQC to prosecute the provider".

And "in this lawsuit it was concluded that it did conscionable the threshold and a prosecution was indispensable and successful the nationalist interest".

On Friday, the CQC confirmed it was present prosecuting the spot implicit the deaths of 2 much people.

A spokesperson for the CQC refused to corroborate the patients involved, but said each had been successful the trust's care.

However, the begetter of Miss Moore, David Moore, told the BBC that immoderate of the alleged offences related to the attraction of his daughter.

The CQC said the spot "breached" the Health and Social Care Act, which relates to healthcare providers' work to "ensure radical person harmless attraction and treatment".

In response, a spokesperson for the spot said: "We person afloat cooperated with the Care Quality Commission's probe and proceed to enactment intimately with them.

"We stay focused connected delivering harmless and benignant attraction to our patients and person made important advancement successful the past mates of years."

The archetypal proceeding is acceptable to instrumentality spot connected 17 May astatine Teesside Magistrates' Court.