Family fear 'another whitewash' from review into North…

Family fear 'another whitewash' from review into North East Ambulance Service 'cover-ups'

One of the families at the heart of concerns about how the North East Ambulance Service withheld key documents from coroners fears "another whitewash" from the promised "independent review" into the service's procedures.

Last week Dame Marianne Griffiths - former chief executive of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust - was announced as leading the review. She retired from her role leading the south coast trust in 2021.

The review comes in light of allegations raised by whistleblowers claiming that NEAS was failing to disclose key information to coroners. It has been alleged that this amounts to "covering-up" errors.

Shildon teenager Quinn Evie Milburn-Beadle died in December 2018. It was found that the first paramedic to respond did not attempt "full advanced life support" before declaring her death. At the time paramedics and police who were on the scene raised concerns about this - and an internal investigation took place.

However the coroner presiding over Quinn Evie's inquest was not at the time informed that an investigation had been undertaken. Quinn Evie's parents David and Tracey have fought for accountability for what happened to their daughter - and the fact that they only discovered key information about her death mid-way through the first inquest to be held.

NHS England describes the new investigations as "an independent review of the North East Ambulance Service", but the Beadle family and the whistleblowers who first raised concerns about ambulance trust procedures fear as Dame Marianne is a recently-retired senior NHS figure, this amounts to the NHS "investigating themselves".

One of the whistleblowers said they were concerned the review would be "carefully choreographed theatre". Concerns about Dame Marianne's previous interactions with NHS whistleblowers have also been raised. A 2018 Health Service Journal story headlined "Trust holds up whistleblower investigation" has been cited as cause for concern.

David Beadle said: "To be honest we think this will be another whitewash. At the end of the day it's the NHS investigating the NHS. We have doubts because we feel there needs to be a totally independent inquiry. It's still all in limbo because of the lack of Government. We obviously don't know who the health secretary is going to be."

Tracey added: "We have concerns about how she has dealt with whistleblowing in the past. That doesn't fill us with confidence. We feel there's a sense that we'll be stuck in the same place

"When the review comes out, whatever it decides, they will want that to be the end of it. Whatever it comes out with we will be continuing to stand up and say there needs to be something independent."

In response to these concerns, an NHS England spokesperson said: "Dame Marianne Griffiths is a retired NHS CEO. Having never worked in the region, but with extensive knowledge of the NHS, Dame Marianne has the relevant experience to Chair this independent investigation."

The former Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced there would be an independent investigation, commissioned by NHS England, in June. Dame Marianne will lead this, though no timescale has yet been given nor terms of reference announced.

Speaking last month, Helen Ray - chief executive of NEAS - said the ambulance service was "ready to fully engage" with the review, and added: "Our main aim will be to ensure we give absolute support to the families involved and in particular the families who have lost loved ones."

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