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A full public inquiry into the deaths of mental health patients in Essex is set to take place, with findings that could have implications for mental healthcare across the country. Melanie Leahy and Lisa Morris, both mothers who have lost sons to mental health issues, have waited years for this moment. Baroness Lampard is set to open fresh proceedings that will examine the deaths of inpatients under the care of NHS trusts over the course of 23 years.
One of the young men whose death is set to be examined is Melanie Leahy’s son, Matthew. He was found unresponsive at a unit now operated by Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) in 2012. He had been under the care of the Early Intervention in Psychosis team operated by one of EPUT’s predecessor organisations, the North Essex Partnership NHS Trust (NEP). Days before his death, he reported that he had been raped while in the unit – an allegation that the police failed to take action on. Staff at the unit did not follow trust policy related to the allegations, and it emerged that Matthew’s care plan had been falsified after his death.
Another young man mentioned in the inquiry is Ben Morris, who died while an inpatient at the Linden Centre in 2008, aged just 20. His mother, Lisa, is hopeful that the inquiry will ensure “good care for the next generation of mental health patients.” Both Matthew and Ben’s cases were part of a prosecution in which EPUT was convicted under the Health and Safety at Work Act and fined £1.5m in relation to 11 deaths at the Linden Centre and other settings, operated by the NEP between 2004 and 2015.
The proceedings are getting underway 16 years after Ben’s death. Melanie Leahy hopes that the inquiry will lead to “meaningful change,” while Lisa Morris is hopeful for “good, safe hospitals with staff that care,” stating that accountability is also crucial. 126 families are currently represented by a law firm, with Priya Singh stating that the inquiry is as important as the Post Office inquiry and the infected blood inquiry. Following a consultation, the new Terms of Reference were published earlier this year, and the Lampard Inquiry now begins its phase two, with public hearings as it gathers evidence
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