Call for a Statutory Public Inquiry into Essex Mental Health Services (NHS)

Dear Supporters,

We are calling for a statutory public inquiry into Essex Mental Health Care provided by various NHS Trusts over the years.
North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) now Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) following a merger.

Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT), which now runs mental health services in Essex, has already admitted to failures of care relating to the deaths of 11 patients between 2004 and 2015.

There are now 62 families represented by Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA). Many have already been campaigning for years for better mental health services from the NHS, following the tragic deaths of their loved ones.

Nadine Dorries MP has launched an indepedent inquiry into events at the Linden Centre over a 20 year period.

However, the families would like a statutory public inquiry, due to the extra powers it has:

• Any person or organisation can be made to produce relevant documents. It is a criminal offence to intentionally withhold a document required by the Inquiry or deliberately to obstruct its work.

• Core Participants can suggest lines of questioning that should be pursued by the
Inquiry.

• Inquiries hold hearings and any person or relevant organisation can be called as a witness to give evidence.

• Witnesses can be asked questions by Counsel to the Inquiry or by legal representatives of Core Participants (with the Chairman’s permission).

The families are also requesting that all NHS mental health care providers across Essex are included and that it is not just limited to the Linden Centre in Chelmsford.

Nina Ali, Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors, states: “families have fought too hard and for too long to be now fobbed off with yet another investigation that we all know will simply not provide the answers so desperately needed. If the Government are serious about improving mental health care, then it must be the case that those responsible are obliged to attend and compelled to give their evidence on oath, and the only way to do that is via a statutory public inquiry.”

Deborah Coles, Director of the charity INQUEST said: “An independent inquiry without the backing of the families affected will not take us further than the countless previous investigations and inquests. None have prevented further deaths or enabled accountability and change. Now nothing less than a full Statutory Public Inquiry will suffice. If not for the dedication and persistence of families affected, the failings in Essex mental health services would never have come to light. The minister owes it to these families, who have been already been repeatedly failed by the state, to meet their demands.”

Thank you for your support.

#StatutoryInquiry #419days #QBAIN