Trust appoints chair to lead independent suicides review

A trust has appointed a chair to lead an independent review into dozens of suicides that was sparked by allegations of record tampering.

Following questions from HSJ about the review’s chair and terms of reference, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust said Ellen Wilkinson, a former medical director at Cornwall Partnership FT and its current chief clinical information officer, would chair the review. 

The trust, which is looking for a substantive CEO following Anna Hills’ departure earlier this year, said the review “will not examine individual patient deaths but will take a thematic approach and look at the learnings we can take from these tragic incidents”.

The trust told HSJ the terms of reference for the review of more than 60 cases of patients who died by suicide since 2017 were still being finalised.

The decision not to investigate individual cases has been criticised by the whistleblower whose concerns prompted the review in the first place, as HSJ reported in October.

While an employee of the trust, Des McVey, a consultant nurse and psychotherapist, carried out an investigation in July 2021 into the case of 33-year-old Charles Ndhlovu, who died by suicide in 2017.

Mr McVey told HSJ his review found Mr Ndhlovu’s patient record had been tampered with and “his care plans were created on the day after his death” – a conclusion he stands by.

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Source: HSJ, 3 April 2024