THE LAMPARD Inquiry into mental health deaths in Essex has been told by a charity focused on state-related deaths that the extent of the problem was “downplayed by those within the heart of government”.
The Lampard Inquiry, which began in Chelmsford on September 9, is investigating the deaths of 2,000 people who were receiving mental health inpatient care in Essex between 2000 and 2023.
Day two of the inquiry began with a written statement read by Zeenat Islam on behalf of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, Suffolk and North East Essex ICB.
These ICBS, health areas, are different to the two main NHS trusts being investigated in the inquiry – Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) and the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) -as they have commissioning powers.
This means ICBs will work with various providers to help individuals with complex needs.
Zeenat Islam in her conclusion said: “The ICBs would like to reiterate their firm commitment to supporting the Inquiry in its investigation.
“In particular, the ICBs would like to highlight their willingness to reflect on key learning that emerges from the Inquiry, to enable them to ensure that the people they are responsible for can safely and confidently access mental health services in future.
This was followed by an opening statement from Inquest, a charity which provides expertise on state-related deaths with a particular focus on custody and detention.
Lily Lewis, on behalf of Inquest, said since 2008, INQUEST has worked on over 49 cases involving deaths in mental health settings in Essex, as well as several further cases falling within the Inquiry’s definition of “inpatient death”.
More widely, across England Wales, one third of Inquest’s cases are related to mental health cases.
Ms Lewis said that Inquest’s expertise into deaths in custody would be “vital to the Chair making effective recommendations at its conclusion” as well this expertise making it “well-placed” to assist with the roles of racism, discrimination and inequality on care and treatment, in the 2,000 deaths.
Ms Lewis also said individual inpatient deaths should be seen as institutional racism, rather than as unrelated to race or as “a few bad apples”.
She also said autistic people, women and girls facing sexual violence and or abuse, transgender people, and other protected groups also needed to be seen.
Ms Lewis also said that in October 2019 the Nadine Dorries, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety at the Department of Health and Social Cars
The barrister said that Ms Dorries said “they tend to happen where there is a systemic problem or there are multiple cases – in this case a public inquiry is not an appropriate response because we’re talking about two cases”.
Ms Lewis said that in October 2019, Nadine Dorries, the then Conservative health minister was asked if the government would announce a public inquiry into failings by mental health services in Essex.
Ms Dorries said to the House of Commons Select Committee: “…public inquiries do not happen for individual cases; they tend to happen when there is a systemic problem or there are multiple cases.
“In this case, a public inquiry is not an appropriate response because we are talking about two cases.
Ms Lewis said Inquest by that time was already working on 17 cases.
Ms Lewis also said that Inquest supports the introduction of a statutory duty of candour for all public bodies, a key part of the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill which was introduced to Parliament in 2017.
Another further action suggested by Inquest was the need for there to be a "national mechanism" to ensure governments followed inquiry's advice or other meaningful steps, adding that
Lily Lewis in her conclusion said: "Inquest is committed to assisting the Chair and her Inquiry in order that its evidence, findings and recommendations are robust and capable of bringing about meaningful change for bereaved families, patients, and nationwide.
The opening statements will continue tomorrow morning at 10am.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel