Alistair Smith said he was “proud to continue representing families affected by the TEWV failings”, after the health secretary announced a statutory public inquiry would be held into the trust after numerous significant failings in its safeguarding and care.
The chief executive of TEWV, Alison Smith, has said the trust will “fully support” the public inquiry with “transparency, openness and humility”.
Mr Smith said the inquiry “will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence, which is essential to establishing the root causes of what went wrong and ensuring meaningful, lasting change”. “Above all, families want to know that no one else will have to endure what they have been through, and this inquiry gives a real opportunity to deliver that change.”
“This is what families have campaigned so tirelessly for over many years and I am privileged to have been on that journey with many of those impacted families,” he added.
As The Press reported, TEWV had been dogged by calls for a public inquiry after being convicted and fined over the deaths of two patients and blamed at inquests for contributing to the deaths of others, slammed by watchdogs, and branded as ‘requiring improvement’.
The trust provides mental health services across York and North Yorkshire, as well as County Durham, Darlington and Teesside.
The Press backed calls for a public inquiry into TEWV, with editor Nigel Burton saying “something has gone badly wrong” at the trust.
Mr Smith represented families affected by TEWV, including Christie Harnett, 17, Nadia Sharif, 17, and Emily Moore, 18, who all died while under the trust’s care.
Mr Smith and solicitors Sarah Magson and Dawn Makepeace, who also represented families affected by TEWV, have all now joined law firm Ison Harrison.
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Ison Harrison said it is is representing a “significant number of families affected by the TEWV scandal and has been closely involved in the campaign calling for a public inquiry”.
A firm spokesperson said Mr Smith brings a “wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team” following his time at his previous firm, Watson Woodhouse.
Gareth Naylor, director and head of personal injury and inquests at Ison Harrison, said: “Alistair’s appointment comes at a hugely significant moment. He is a highly respected lawyer with a deep commitment to families affected by systemic failings, particularly within mental health services.”
When the public inquiry was announced, TEWV chief executive Ms Smith said: “First and foremost, I extend my deepest sympathy to everyone affected by these tragic losses.
“With the public inquiry now confirmed, we will fully support the process with transparency, openness and humility. Above all, we are committed to listening, reflecting, and taking meaningful action to ensure that we continually improve as an organisation.”