Theresa May says families of Grenfell Tower victims did not get enough support after the disaster as she meets with heartbroken residents at Number 10
THERESA May has said families of the Grenfell Tower victims did not get enough support after the disaster as she met with heartbroken residents at Number 10.
The Prime Minister said there had been "huge frustrations" on the ground as people struggled to find information.
After a two-and-a-half hour meeting in Downing Street with victims, residents, community leaders and volunteers, Mrs May said she had heard their concerns.
She added: "The response of the emergency services, NHS and the community has been heroic.
"But, frankly, the support on the ground for families who needed help or basic information in the initial hours after this appalling disaster was not good enough."
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Mrs May said money from the £5 million emergency fund to help victims buy food and clothes was already being handed out and more funding would be allocated if needed.
She has ordered daily progress reports on housing for those affected.
Mrs May added: "There have been huge frustrations that people do not know who to talk to, that they can't get through on the council hotlines.
"I have ordered that more staff be deployed across the area, wearing high visibility clothing, so they can easily be found, dispense advice and ensure the right support is provided. Phone lines will have more staff.
"Victims have concerns their voice will not be heard, that their many questions about this tragedy will not be answered.
"That is why I ordered a public inquiry, with the costs for providing victims with legal representation met by Government.
"The inquiry will be open and transparent. Government and ministers will cooperate fully.
"I anticipate the name of the judge will be announced within the next few days and that an open meeting will be held with residents to help shape the terms of reference.
"It has been decided today that the public inquiry will report back to me personally. As Prime Minister, I will be responsible for implementing its findings."
Mrs May said councils have been told to complete urgent safety checks on all high rise buildings further action "will be taken" if needed.
"After something this traumatic, many people will be in need of not just financial support, but also counselling. NHS London will provide that support," she added.
"I can also announce that NHS London will provide specialist long-term bereavement support for the families who have lost loved ones, and immediate psychological support is being provided by Cruise and Red Cross."
Mrs May said the Grenfell Tower blaze "was an unimaginable tragedy for the community, and for our country".
She added: "My Government will do whatever it takes to help those affected, get justice and keep our people safe."
Her comments came as the Government announced a minute's silence to remember those who lost their lives and all those affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower.
The police today said the number presumed to have died in the inferno has risen to at least 58 people.
All Government buildings will mark the silence, at 11am on Monday, and other organisations may also observe it.
Downing Street also announced new measures to support those who have lost loved ones, along with members of the emergency services.
They came after the second meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce, chaired by the Prime Minister.
An additional £1.5 million will be provided to pay for mental health support to the emergency services, through mental health charity Mind's Blue Light Programme.
This will ensure those involved in the response to the tragedy are able "to receive targeted support should they need it", Downing Street said.
Tailored bereavement support for families of the victims, those missing or people affected by the tragedy will also be provided.
Each family will be offered support from their own named mental health practitioner, in addition to police family liaison officers.
"The residents of Grenfell Tower, families who have lost loved ones, and the emergency services who have been working so hard to help them have been through some of the most harrowing and traumatic experiences imaginable," Theresa May said.
"As we do everything we can to help them, we will make sure they have the counselling and emotional support they need in the difficult days, weeks and years ahead."
The specialist bereavement support for families will be provided by the NHS, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, said.
Families will be provided a named NHS mental health practitioner if they are in need of extra psychological support or if a family liaison officer believes that they are, and obtains their agreement.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said the funding meant the Blue Light Programme would be extended and expanded.
"As recent terrible events in London and Manchester have brought to light, Blue Light workers do an extremely challenging job, encountering difficult and traumatic situations," he said.
"That's why it's so important that comprehensive, ongoing mental health support is available in the short and long term."
Meanwhile, a number of friends and family members of those missing following the Grenfell Tower fire told of chaos and frustration as they tried to find information about their loved ones.
Residents claim there appeared to be no centralised list of those missing, and that they were forced to continually visit or call the various rescue centres and hospitals that were dealing with those affected.
Mirna Suleiman, 26, a family friend of the first named victim, Mohammad Alhajali, claimed she and members of his family were told by the designated casualty line that there was no such list of missing people - even a day and a half after the fire had taken place.
"I spoke to the casualty helpline and they didn't have any information... they didn't offer any help. I was expecting to hear lists of missing people, lists of people who had died, passed away. [But there was] nothing, they weren't collating these numbers."
She also claimed that the rescue centres maintained no formal records of those that had attended, and even said one hospital told her they were unable to say whether Mr Alhajali was there for confidentiality reasons.
Ana Ospina, aunt of missing 12-year-old Jessica Urbano, was also highly critical of the way those seeking information were dealt with.
She tweeted on the afternoon after the fire: "Can't get through to hospitals for info on my niece and the helpline is useless as they only take info and are not able to give information.
On Friday, she tweeted at London Mayor Sadiq Khan: "We've had little help in our search for my niece Jessie authorities going by lists yet children found in wards not even on them?"
And on Saturday, with the schoolgirl by then missing for almost four days, she wrote: "No news yet on our Jessie and the family is tired of being fobbed of by the authorities. Where is the help for the families?"
The Met Police has said today that the £10million refurb is now part of a criminal investigation.
Scotland Yard will release video and pictures from inside the burned out West London building tomorrow.
As many as 400 people were officially reported missing, with 342 people now accounted for as alive.
"That number 58 may change. I really hope it won't, but it may increase", Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police warned in a press conference.
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What we know so far
- At least 30 people have been confirmed dead but the death toll is feared to be more than 100 - with at least 28 further victims presumed dead
- The first victims have been named as Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Haj Ali, 23, and 24-year-old Khadija SayeThe Prime Minister has promised a full public inquiry into the disaster and police have launched a criminal investigation
- The blaze on Wednesday night is thought to have been sparked by a faulty fridge but police don't believe the fire was started deliberately
- Experts warned the fire was spread by cladding panels which are fitted to countless buildings across Britain
- Residents were seen jumping from upper floors in scenes reminiscent of September 11 and horrified witnesses told of babies being thrown from windows by desperate mothers
- It was revealed the block had only recently undergone a £10million refurb and still had no sprinkler system installed - but designers insisted the refurbishment work complied with building regulations
- Residents raised safety concerns four years ago, but were ignored
- Celebrities and ordinary Londoners have united to provide food, clothes, money and shelter for survivors
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