Essex mental health deaths review demands legal powers

Dr Geraldine Strathdee says the review would find it difficult to meet its terms of reference without statutory powers to compel witnesses

The government has been asked to decide whether to hold the first national public inquiry into mental health deaths.

An independent review into 1,500 deaths at the Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) over a 21-year period was launched in 2020.

Another 500 deaths were made known to the review chair, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, in December.

A government spokeswoman said it was "carefully considering" next steps.

Dr Strathdee said the inquiry could not continue without full legal powers.

Her comments came after only 11 staff out of 14,000 agreed to attend evidence sessions.

Its findings will no longer be published as expected this spring.

"The inquiry's work will continue while we await further progress," she said.

In an open letter, Dr Strathdee described the number of responses to the review from current and former staff as "hugely disappointing".

'Significant increase'

The 1,500 died while they were a patient on a mental health ward in Essex, or within three months of being discharged, between 2000 and 2020.

Dr Strathdee said: "In December 2022, I received an update on this number from EPUT, and it actually stands closer to 2,000.

"This is a significant increase in the number of people who have lost their lives as mental health patient.

"I am concerned that it has taken two years since this inquiry was announced to be informed about these individuals' deaths by the Trust."

Melanie Leahy, seen here with her late son Matthew, campaigned for a public inquiry

The current review was commissioned by the government after 100,000 people signed a petition to investigate mental health deaths.

It was set up by Melanie Leahy, whose son Matthew died while he was an inpatient at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford in 2012.

"I'm almost in tears hearing this now," she told the BBC. "Why has it taken 10 years of my life to get to this point?

"I want to be able to say to Essex that your loved ones are safe, when they come under the care of Essex mental health services. Give us our statutory public inquiry."

The call has been backed by Essex MPs John Whittingdale and Priti Patel, who have asked to meet with Health Secretary Steve Barclay.

Dr Strathdee said staff evidence was "fundamental to the inquiry to properly investigate the deaths of mental health patients".

She added: "In the event that staff engagement remains very poor, it is my view that the inquiry will not be able to meet its terms of reference with a non-statutory status".

Dr Strathdee confirmed she had met with the health secretary and said any decision on the inquiry's status would be the government's to make.

Staff 'not engaged'

A Department for Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "Every death in a mental health facility is a tragedy.

"We are committed to improving mental health services across the country and it was for this reason that we launched the inquiry to look at inpatient mental health deaths in Essex between 2000 and 2020.

She said they were grateful to those who had participated in the inquiry, but added: "It is disappointing that current and former staff have not engaged to the extent expected nor that the inquiry has been able to access all the information it has requested.

"The progress of the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry is being carefully considered ahead of any further potential next steps."

EPUT said it was proactively encouraging its staff to take part in the review and had been offering advice and support.

It said: "There is a need to meet the commitment to families, carers and service users who rightly expect answers."

Some 93 families in Essex have been campaigning for a full public inquiry with legal powers to compel witnesses.

The review was announced by Nadine Dorries in 2020, when she was a health minister, after a series of deaths at an NHS mental health unit in Essex.