The largest mental health investigation in UK history is expected to be expanded into a formal public inquiry following the intervention of senior Tories.
Health Minister Steve Barclay agreed that changes should be made to the status of Essex’s independent mental health inquiry after it stalled due to a near-total lack of cooperation from current and former NHS staff.
The investigation is looking into the deaths of 2,000 people in NHS psychiatric units in Essex over a 20-year period, but it was undermined by thousands of current and former employees who refused to testify.
Dozens of families of the victims also refuse to participate in the investigation, believing that only a legitimate public inquiry that forces witnesses to come forward and testify under oath can provide the answers they need.
Former Culture Minister Sir John Whittingdale and former Home Secretary Priti Patel were among the six Essex MPs who met with Mr Barclay on Wednesday.
Sir John said that Mr. Barclay “listened attentively and … acknowledged the need for a change in the status of the investigation.” After Easter, the Minister of Health will meet with Chief Investigator Dr. J. Geraldine Strathdee, after which a public inquiry is expected to be announced.
Sir John said I“The Secretary of State has been extremely understanding, and he acknowledges that the current situation is unsustainable, that something needs to change, especially not only with regards to the lack of staff, but also in relation to the 84 families that are not bidding unless status changes.
“He will have another meeting with the chairman of the investigation after Easter to discuss what changes need to be made, but he certainly sympathizes. He acknowledges that there must be a change in status – let’s see what exactly that means.”
Asked if he was confident that change would come, Sir John replied: “I really hope so. [Mr Barclay] was very receptive, he fully agrees with the need to make changes and recognizes that an important part of this is the involvement of all families.
Melanie Leahy, who for the past 13 years has campaigned for a formal public inquiry into the death of her 20-year-old son Matthew in Essex Psychiatric Hospital in November 2012, said a public inquiry is now “inevitable”. .
She said I: “The current investigation leads nowhere, so it should now be open. What other path can they take? There is momentum now. Previously, we were not supported by deputies, now there are six of us, including two former members of the Cabinet of Ministers. family group [refusing to engage] increases, the death toll increases. The problem obviously won’t go away on its own.
“Now we have the opportunity to change the mental health system not only in Essex, but throughout the country, given the number of tragic failures that have happened and continue to happen. What is happening in Essex is being repeated across England, so any lessons and recommendations that emerge from a public inquiry here should be shared across the country.”
The study focuses on the deaths of 2,000 patients, all of which occurred in the Essex Psychiatric Unit between 2000 and 2020 or within three months of discharge. The study was announced by Nadine Dorris in 2020, when she was Secretary of State for Health, following a series of deaths at Linden Center in Chelmsford, including the death of Matthew Leahy.
In January, D. Strathdee said she was “very disappointed” with the lack of involvement of current and former NHS staff in Essex after just 11 of the 14,000 NHS staff said they would testify in person. She told Mr Barclay that the study was “inadequate” and not in her area of expertise, which included making recommendations to improve mental health care in the NHS.
Sir John asked the group of families who refused to take part in the investigation to meet with their legal advisers and “explain the detailed changes to the nature and mandate of the investigation that you would like to see”.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Welfare said: “Any death in a psychiatric institution is a tragedy. We are committed to improving mental health across the country, which is why we started a study to look at mental illness deaths in Essex between 2000 and 2020.
“We would like to thank everyone who took part, which helped a lot in the work of the study. We strongly believe in the importance of transparency and accountability in learning from the past to improve patient safety. It is disappointing that current and former employees were not involved to the extent expected and that the investigation was not given access to all the information requested.
“The progress of the independent investigation into Essex’s mental health will be scrutinized.”
Dr. Strathdee asked for help last year to get more people testifying about the deaths of 1,500 patients, a number that quickly increased to “approximately 2,000” after the Essex University Partners Foundation (EPUT) became aware of more patient deaths. .
Two women’s wards at EPUT Hospital, created in April 2017 from the merger of North Essex University Partner NHS Foundation Trust and South Essex University Partner NHS Foundation Trust, received a failing grade from the Health Care Quality Commission on Friday. Inspectors found general restrictions preventing people from entering gardens, bedrooms, bathrooms and even toilets.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.