Briefing Materials for Maria Caulfield’s Statement on NEAS Deaths Scandal (23 May 2022)

Date: Wednesday 19th June, 2025

Subject: Briefing Materials for Maria Caulfield’s Statement on NEAS Deaths Scandal (23 May 2022)

Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the briefing materials provided to Maria Caulfield, then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy, prior to her statement in the House of Commons on 23 May 2022 concerning the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) deaths scandal.

Specifically, I request the following:

All briefing documents, emails, or correspondence provided to Maria Caulfield by civil servants within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that relate to the NEAS deaths scandal and were used to inform her statement on 23 May 2022, where she stated, "The police investigated and found no evidence of criminality."

Any internal communications or records within the DHSC that discuss the police investigation into the NEAS deaths scandal and the conclusion that "no evidence of criminality" was found, dated from 1 May 2022 to 23 May 2022.

Any communications between the DHSC and Northumbria Police or other relevant authorities (e.g., the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the Crown Prosecution Service) regarding the NEAS deaths scandal around the time of Maria Caulfield’s statement on 23 May 2022, specifically from 1 May 2022 to 23 May 2022.

I am particularly interested in understanding the basis for Maria Caulfield’s claim, given that:

Northumbria Police recorded a crime of perverting the course of justice on 07/07/2020 (Reference: FWIN 282 - 01/06/2020) and considered corporate manslaughter, as confirmed by the IOPC, before referring the matter to Derek Winter, Senior Coroner for Sunderland, after seeking legal advice, supporting evidence of criminality.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) later found Winter’s advice to cease the police investigation was improper, breaching Paragraph 9 of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the CPS, police, and coroners.

The interim Audit One report (March 2020) referenced potential offences of perjury, further contradicting Caulfield’s claim.

In late 2024, NEAS was ordered to publish a report into claims it failed to disclose full information about patient deaths to coroners, which was initially withheld but later released following an ICO intervention, highlighting systemic issues within NEAS.

Please provide the requested information, if any exemptions are to be applied, please provide a detailed explanation, including the specific sections of the FOIA being invoked and a public interest test.

If any part of this request is unclear or exceeds the cost limit under Section 12 of the FOIA, please contact me to refine the scope.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, I await your response within the 20 working days permitted under the FOIA.

Yours faithfully,

David Change