Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust prosecuted after three patients died
A mental health trust is to be prosecuted after three patients died in its care.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is bringing charges against the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust.
It is thought they relate to the deaths of Christie Harnett, 17, Emily Moore, 18, and a third person.
The trust is said to have failed "to provide safe care and treatment" which exposed patients to "significant risk of avoidable harm".
Both Christie Harnett and Emily Moore had complex mental health issues and took their own lives.
The CQC said the trust "breached" the Health and Social Care Act, which relates to healthcare providers' responsibility to "ensure people receive safe care and treatment".
In response, a spokesperson for the trust said: "We have fully cooperated with the Care Quality Commission's investigation and continue to work closely with them.
"We remain focused on delivering safe and kind care to our patients and have made significant progress in the last couple of years."
Source: BBC News, 25 February 2023