The Care Quality Commission (CQC) was aware of a key report highlighting concerns about how North East Ambulance Service was withholding information with coroners as long ago as June 2020.
But at that time, following contact with stakeholders, the regulator decided "further, immediate regulatory action was not required at the time".
Whistleblowers contacted the health regulator in May that year, and shortly afterwards the CQC requested information including the damning independent AuditOne report into the service's timeliness at ensuring coroners around the region were aware of "concerns and / or investigations" into patient safety incidents.
