The father of a teenage girl who died while receiving care from a highly scrutinised mental health trust has asserted that his daughter was failed from the beginning to the end of her treatment. Emily Moore, aged 18 and from Shildon, passed away in February 2020 while a patient at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust's (TEWV) Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham. An inquest jury concluded that the 'treatment and trauma' Emily experienced throughout her engagement with mental health services, including a stay at the 'chaotic and unsafe' West Lane Hospital in Middlesbrough, were significant factors contributing to her death. TEWV has since expressed its 'deepest apologies' for the identified shortcomings.
The inquest heard that Emily began experiencing severe mental health issues at the age of 15 in 2017. Two years later, she was sectioned and diagnosed with emerging emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD). The final 11 months of her life were spent across three different hospitals, beginning with a distressing four-month period at TEWV's West Lane Hospital in Middlesbrough in March 2019. During her time there, Emily reportedly complained of being treated 'like dirt', with allegations of staff swearing at her, mocking her, and failing to intervene during instances of self-harm. Her father, David Moore, described the hospital as a 'hell-hole', stating it was 'hard to hear' how his daughter was treated and that staff had been 'absolutely cruel' to her.
David Moore, who attended the three-week inquest daily with family and friends, described the process as 'tough'. He recounted hearing revelations, including West Lane bosses expressing 'amazement' at the hospital's 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in summer 2018, a year before the CQC returned to deem it unsafe and ultimately shut it down. Moore also expressed 'anger' upon learning that staff had repeatedly raised concerns with directors about issues at the hospital, but these problems were not addressed. He stressed that the patients were vulnerable 'kids' at their 'hardest and lowest points', and their treatment was 'inhumane'.
Emily's condition reportedly improved significantly when she was moved from West Lane to Ferndene in Prudhoe, managed by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW). Her father noted that during her seven months there, she built 'good relationships' with nurses, 'got on well', and, crucially, had 'structure to her day'. However, upon turning 18 in February 2020, national policy necessitated her transfer to an adult ward, leading to a return to TEWV's care due to her residential location. David Moore stated that neither Emily nor her Ferndene nurses wanted this move, as she was progressing well, but it 'had to happen' and from that point, her condition deteriorated.
Experts have since suggested that the transition from child to adult mental health services should be more gradual, incorporating a longer grace period rather than an immediate move upon reaching 18. Alistair Smith, the family's solicitor, criticised the national policy of immediate transfer as 'crackers', arguing that while Emily was numerically 18, she was not emotionally ready for such a change. Emily moved into Lanchester Road Hospital on 6 February 2020, two days after her birthday. Seven days later, on 13 February, she tragically sustained fatal injuries. Her father had called the ward that morning, expressing concern after she posted an emotional tribute on Facebook to a friend who had died at West Lane, but was reportedly told not to worry.