google-site-verification: googlec7193c3de77668c9.html

West Lane Hospital girls’ inquest suspension ‘double-edged sword’

The suspension of inquests for two girls who died at a “chaotic and unsafe” mental health hospital is a “double-edged sword”, one of their families said.

Christie Harnett and Nadia Sharif were both 17 when they died in 2019 while patients at West Lane Hospital in Middlesbrough, with their deaths leading to its closure soon after.

Their inquest were due to be held in November but on Wednesday County Durham and Darlington coroner Crispin Oliver suspended them pending the outcome of a promised government inquiry.

Christie’s family said the suspension left them in “limbo” awaiting “justice”, but it was “good and bad news”.

Families had pushed for a public inquiry into failings at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley (TEWV) NHS Trust, which ran West Lane Hospital as well as other sites across County Durham and Teesside, with then-health secretary West Streeting announcing in December 2025 one would be held.

Seven months on a secretary has been appointed but there is still no chair, who will likely be a senior judge, or terms of reference, the coroner said in a short hearing in Crook, County Durham.


BBC News

Views: 3

See also  'Surviving the Boxing Day tsunami gave me a second chance'

Check Also

T20 Blast final: Tammy Beaumont helps The Blaze beat Durham

Tammy Beaumont starred as The Blaze produced a dominant display to claim their first Women’s …

Trampolinist 'held back tears' on Take That tour

Millie Harvey had just finished her degree at Bournemouth University when she joined the Take …

Shop loses licence over missing winning lottery ticket

A shop supervisor accused of stealing a winning lottery ticket has been stripped of his …

Leave a Reply

Available for Amazon Prime
This product has multiple variants.