Inquiry into mental health deaths in Essex looking for staff to share insights
They want to hear from doctors, nurses, porters and more
Last updated 29th Jul 2022
A landmark public inquiry into mental health care deaths in Essex over the last 20 years is taking place.
Recommendations from the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry - the first of its kind to be held in England - are likely affect mental health treatment and care across the country.
Dr Geraldine Strathdee, who’s leading the inquiry, is urging staff to come forward and share their experiences, saying doctors, nurses and other staff can play an “essential” role in shaping services in the future: "We want staff coming forward to tell us what happened and why.
"That's why we're asking for staff - and by staff, we mean nurses, doctors, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, care workers, pharmacists, people that work in the information department, the mental health department, commissioners and porters - to come forward and let us hear their voice about how we can help make things different...
"We want to hear about the things staff are proud of and the things that might prevent them from being able to deliver excellent care. Their voice is absolutely essential."
The inquiry is examining cases of people who died while they were mental health in-patients at NHS Trusts in Essex from January 2000 to December 2020.
Dr Strathdee explains why the inquiry is so important: "People want, and need, to know what happens when there are tragic deaths, but they also really want to know how can we prevent similar things happening again.
"This inquiry will find out what lessons can be learned from people's evidence."
These deaths are the focus of the investigation, but Dr Strathdee notes the inquiry will also be making recommendations regarding the wider mental health system which will have big implications: "One of our work streams is to look at comparable organisations, systems and pathways for patients, so that we can then see whether Essex uniquely different or if there are other parts of the country that may need the same recommendations as Essex."
So far, the inquiry has received evidence relating to 65 cases, including from families of those who’ve died and from people who have been in-patients themselves.
The Inquiry has so far been made aware of around 1,500 individuals who died while they were a patient on a mental health ward in Essex over the 21-year period or within three months of being discharged, and says it's continuing to establish as much information as possible.
Based off evidence Dr Strathdee has already heard as part of the inquiry, she's already identified some common areas of concern:
● A lack of basic information being shared with patients and their families about their care and treatment, their choices, and the plans to get them better
● Patients and their families voicing serious concerns about patients’ physical, mental and sexual safety on the ward
● Major differences in the quality of care patients receive - in the attitude of staff and in the use of effective treatments
The Inquiry is expected to conclude in 2023, and Dr Strathdee promises she will produce useful recommendations as a result: "Our aim is not to have hundreds of recommendations, our aim is to get advice and expertise from patients, families and staff to create practical, patient-centered recommendations that are feasible and can make a real difference. "