Prohibition on destruction of documents letter
The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield CBE, was formally set-up on 13 April 2026.
The Inquiry is investigating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by grooming gangs across England and Wales. It will examine issues arising between 1 January 1996 to 31 March 2029 in accordance with its Terms of Reference. As a statutory inquiry, established under the Inquiries Act 2025, it has the legal power to require organisations to disclose documents and to compel witnesses to give evidence.
The Inquiry has asked NHS England to cascade the attached letter on document preservation and the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference to NHS bodies.
The purpose of the Inquiry’s letter is to notify formally that any potentially relevant material must be preserved and must not be destroyed, altered, deleted, overwritten, concealed or otherwise disposed of.
If you have any queries about the Inquiry, please contact the Inquiry directly on: contactus@grooming-gangs.independent-inquiry.uk.
For general information about public inquiries, there is further information on the NHS England Inquiry Programme pages on NHS Futures:
NHS England Inquiry Programme – Futures.
NEL Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response Team (EPRR)
NHS North East London
Part of North East London Health and Care Partnership
9th floor – 20 Churchill Place Canary Wharf London, E14 5HJ
If your email is a request for recorded information under the Freedom of Information Act, please send your request to nelondonicb.foi@nhs.net