West Lane Hospital: Father hits out after second death

A father whose daughter is the second child to die in a mental health unit has said that something must change before anyone else loses their life.

Nadia Sharif, 17, died at Middlesbrough's West Lane Hospital on 9 August. It is not yet known how she died.

Admissions to the Hospital were temporarily suspended after 17-year-old Christie Harnett died in June.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust said it was addressing safety concerns.

Cleveland Police is also investigating the latest death.

Ms Sharif had autism and mental health issues and had been in care facilities for four years.

Her father Hakeel Sharif said: "I think the care wasn't there, it should have been 24 hours the way she was doing."

Mr Sharif said improvements needed to be made "very quickly" and it was "not safe for the kids being there".

"They need to sort it out really fast, we don't want to lose any other lives," he added.

A spokesman for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust said: "It would be inappropriate for us to comment on individual care.

"However, in November 2018 concerns were raised that staff had used non approved techniques for moving patients.

"We have robust procedures in place in line with national NHS policy to ensure the safety, dignity and wellbeing of our patients.

"The trust took the concerns raised very seriously and carried out a thorough internal investigation. We also spoke to the families of the young people on the ward and assured them that we were taking appropriate action."

Concerns about the hospital were first raised with the trust in November and in March it was revealed 13 members of staff were facing disciplinary proceedings over the alleged ill treatment of patients.