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Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry
31 January 2023
Lead MP
Vicky Ford
Chelmsford
Con
Responding Minister
Neil O'Brien
Tags
NHSEmploymentMental Health
Word Count: 4071
Other Contributors: 3
At a Glance
Vicky Ford raised concerns about essex mental health independent inquiry in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The MP calls for this non-statutory inquiry to be converted into a statutory one within one month if there is no significant change in staff engagement. This would compel witnesses to give evidence, ensure transparency, and enable greater public scrutiny.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The MP is concerned about the low engagement of EPUT staff in the non-statutory inquiry, which has only received evidence from 11 out of over 14,000 staff members. This includes cases where patients at high risk were able to leave facilities unmonitored and subsequently died. The MP highlights specific examples such as Jayden Booroff's death after absconding the Linden Centre. She also emphasizes the impact on survivors who have experienced horrific treatment while in care, including sexual abuse and excessive use of restraint.
constituency
My hon. Friend did not support a public inquiry initially, believing it would be time-consuming and costly; however, the current approach has not been effective. He visited Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and was impressed with its work but did not understand why only 11 people had come forward to give evidence in a non-statutory environment.
Maldon
He thanked his colleague for securing the debate and expressed concern over unanswered questions regarding deaths in Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. He agreed that statutory powers may be necessary due to lack of cooperation from staff.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
She thanked Vicky Ford for securing the debate and supported the call for a statutory inquiry. She also asked about the role of an independent public advocate for family members whose voices are not being heard.
Government Response
Neil O'Brien
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) for securing this important debate. The Government are committed to improving mental health services across the country and launched the independent inquiry in January 2021, covering a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020. However, I am concerned about the level of co-operation that the inquiry has received. Dr Strathdee raised concerns about staff engagement and document availability. The Secretary of State met Paul Scott, the chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, seeking assurance on actions to encourage more staff engagement and provide all evidence requested by the inquiry. An additional 600 cases were recently sent to the inquiry during a validation process; though not ideal, appropriate staffing and resources have been allocated. The participation of families is equally important, but I am disappointed that some families who lost loved ones did not participate. Our view is that a non-statutory inquiry remains the most effective way to get to the truth quickly without dragging clinicians through public processes. However, if we do not see a dramatic increase in co-operation, we will move to a statutory inquiry. We are currently in this environment of the non-statutory inquiry, which allows an informal approach. People do not have to give evidence under oath in the way they would if we went to a statutory approach. There is an opportunity for people to co-operate more with the inquiry. I assure hon. Members that the work of the inquiry will continue at the same time as the rapid review into patient safety in mental health settings across England, which Dr Strathdee will lead over the next couple of weeks. This is absolutely the last chance to make progress. If staff engagement and access to documents remain unsatisfactory despite these actions, we will consider whether the inquiry should remain on a non-statutory footing.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.