Southern Health: Hospital probe warning over 'witness intimidation'

The families of (l-r) David West, Robert Small, Marion Munns, Edward Hartley and Jo Deering want better patient safety

The chairman of a panel investigating an NHS trust over patient deaths has issued a warning over attempts to intimidate witnesses giving evidence.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is being investigated after failures in its care of five patients who died between 2011 and 2015.

Nigel Pascoe QC said attempts to "dissuade" a witness from giving evidence could amount to an "attempt to pervert the course of justice".

The inquiry will last six weeks.

The hearings follow a report by Mr Pascoe that found "serious and deeply regrettable failures" by Southern Health, one of the biggest psychiatric trusts in England.

They are probing how the trust handles complaints, communicates with families of patients, and carries out investigations.

Mr Pascoe said: "Any attempts by any person, anywhere, to dissuade a witness from giving evidence, in criminal or civil proceedings, may amount to an attempt to pervert the course of justice."

The chairman added the panel, which began hearing evidence on Thursday, would "not hesitate to act" on attempts to intimidate witnesses.

Who are the five families?

• Maureen Rickman, sister of Jo Deering, 52, from New Milton, Hampshire, who died in 2011

• Diane Small, mother of Robert Small, 28, from Fareham, Hampshire, who died in 2012

• Richard West, father of David West, 28, from Southampton, who died in 2013

• Ian and Jane Hartley, parents of Edward Hartley, 18, from Wickham, Hampshire, who died in 2014

• Angie Mote and Kim Vella, daughters of Marion Munns, 74, from Southampton, who died in 2015

Giving evidence, Dr David Hicks, chairman of Southern Health's quality and safety committee, told the panel the trust's complaints handling system was "very inclusive" and "very patient centred".

"I would say that it's getting better," he said, adding: "It's about to be revised. There are some elements of it which do need improvement."

Dr Hicks described Mr Pascoe's report as "harrowing reading", and said the "memory" of the patients was a "strong implement to improve things".

The inquiry heard there were 106 complaints and 324 concerns relating to clinical care in 2019/20.

There were also 28 complaints and 200 concerns to the trust over communication, and 20 complaints and 128 concerns relating to staff attitude.

'Just culture'

Dr Hicks said he believed the "reputational damage" had led to staff "wanting to take as few risks as possible".

"There is very strong sense of there being a just culture at the trust," he said.

"A just culture means by being human I am fallible and capable of making mistakes. We can change a system, we can change an environment."

Ahead of the inquiry, the bereaved families decided to withdraw from the process after they claimed to have been "misled, misrepresented and bullied" by the NHS.

In 2015, the trust was found to have failed to investigate hundreds of deaths. The scandal led to the resignations of both the chief executive and chairman.

The inquiry continues.