The recent appointment of Brent Kilmurray, the former CEO of Tees, Esk and Wear Valley (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust, to the role of Chief Executive at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has sparked outrage among families who have lost loved ones under TEWV’s care. These families are intensifying their calls for a public inquiry into the trust’s ongoing failures, which have led to a series of deaths and widespread concern about the safety and quality of mental health services provided by TEWV. Families affected by TEWV’s failings, including those of Emily Moore, Christie Harnett, and Patient X, will meet with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to ask him to open a public inquiry into TEWV. They will also question Streeting on who approved Kilmurray’s new position.
A Troubling History at TEWV
Brent Kilmurray’s time as CEO of TEWV was marked by a series of concerning incidents, including numerous patient deaths, ongoing staff shortages, and consistent failures to meet basic care standards. Under Kilmurray’s leadership, TEWV faced a £200,000 fine from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following the deaths of Christie Harnett and Patient X in 2024. The CQC’s prosecution found the Trust guilty of exposing both patients to significant risks through inadequate care. The investigation uncovered 49 serious failings in the care provided to Christie, 17. It revealed systemic issues in the Trust’s practices that contributed to the avoidable death of Patient X.
Between 2021 and 2023, 41 patients lost their lives after seeking help from TEWV’s crisis teams. These deaths occurred within months of patients reaching out to the Trust for urgent mental health support. After the death of David Stevens in June 2022, TEWV claimed significant improvements had been made. However, in the following year, 20 more lives were lost under similar circumstances, raising serious concerns about the Trust’s ability to make meaningful changes.
Despite these failings, Kilmurray has been appointed Chief Executive at Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust with a salary increase of more than £50,000, based on his predecessor’s earnings.
Meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting
On 13th February 2025, the families will meet with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to request his support in launching a public inquiry into TEWV. Among them is David Moore, whose 18-year-old daughter, Emily Moore, died in TEWV’s care in 2020.
David Moore said:
“I don’t see how someone can choose to appoint him after all the mistakes that have been made while he’s been at the trust. Since he took over TEWV they now have a criminal record. He cannot bring disaster to another trust. They need to rethink their decision.”
Alistair Smith, Watson Woodhouse Solicitors, states:
“I would echo the families’ views that no person who took a trust when it was requiring improvement and five years later it is still requiring improvement, including on being well led, can be allowed to take on another trust.”
Sign the Petition
The calls for a public inquiry continue, you can help the fight for justice by signing the petition: https://www.rebuildtrust.co.uk/help-us/
Support Is Available
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