The forthcoming public inquiry into the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust has put mental health services in the spotlight and highlighted the importance of a positive patient experience as well as the clinical care they receive. The inquiry will provide patients and their families a much needed opportunity to have their voices heard and to inform meaningful improvements in the future delivery of care services.
Why patient voices matter
Patients and their families are in a unique position to offer valuable insights that can highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of mental health services. Those personal experiences provide vital feedback on the day to day realities of how mental health services operate, that isn’t gathered by corporate reviews and KPIs.
Issues such as difficulty accessing timely support, the emotional, mental and physical toll of long waiting times, or challenges in communicating with Trust employees are all areas that patients could raise, and, along with the input of family members and carers, offer a broad context that demonstrates just how any failings in mental health services can impact not only the individual, but their wider support network.
Learning from past failings
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys statutory public inquiry has been prompted by concerns about failures in patient care. Whilst public inquiries like this are often instigated as a result of serious incidents, they also provide a unique opportunity to implement systemic change. Patient and family testimonies are a key part of these processes. They shed light on instances where care did not meet expected standards and help policymakers, healthcare providers and regulators understand the human impact of service failures.
By actively engaging with those actually on the receiving end of these services, healthcare organisations can identify recurring themes in care delivery, gaps in communication, or shortcomings in safeguarding procedures. This information can lead to practical changes such as improved staff training, clearer care pathways and more robust safety protocols.
Bringing patient voices to the forefront
Conducting patient forums, surveys and feedback sessions are incredibly compelling ways of gathering vital data to inform how services are delivered in future. They allow patients and carers to share experiences in a safe and constructive environment and, perhaps most importantly, they help organisations shift from being reactive, when incidents happen, to having a proactive approach that prevents harm in the first place.
Patient involvement should directly influence decision-making, policy development and service design. When implemented effectively, feedback and recommendations from patients and their families can improve trust between healthcare providers and service users, increase engagement and potentially improve clinical outcomes.
Spotlight on media and advocacy
Media coverage can put a spotlight on patients and give them a vehicle for their voices to be heard. Exposure like this not only raises public awareness but can also increase pressure on organisations to take action and implement meaningful reforms.
It also ensures that patient stories are heard outside of formal inquiry proceedings and can serve to hold mental health services accountable to the communities relying on them.
Moving towards a patient-centred future
The forthcoming inquiry represents an opportunity to embed patient-centred approaches in mental health services. By listening to those who have experienced care firsthand, like Jess Evison who criticises the trust following the tragic death of her son , healthcare providers can make more informed decisions, prevent repeated failings and build services that are genuinely responsive to patient needs.
Ultimately, transforming mental health services requires a culture that values and prioritises the insights of patients and their families. Their voices are not just testimonies of past experiences, they are essential for helping to shape safer, more effective and more compassionate mental health care in the future.
What to do if you have been affected
If you or a family member believe you have been affected by failings at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, and you wish to become involved in the statutory public inquiry, contact us on 01642 070860 or email TEWVInquiry@isonharrison.co.uk.
