Deborah Coles, the director of the charity INQUEST, has condemned health trusts in the strongest possible terms. She focuses on their continued inability to provide appropriate, patient-centered care, particularly in the area of mental health. Speaking at the Lampard Inquiry in London, she underlined a harsh reality. Hundreds of families are still subjected to avoidable deaths, despite repeated government commitments to do more to learn the lessons from past tragedies.
Earlier this week, the Lampard Inquiry held the first day of resumed hearings. This is England’s first public inquiry into deaths in mental health facilities and has already taken evidence in September and November. Coles noted that since 2008, INQUEST has campaigned on about 50 cases of such mental health-related deaths in the context of Essex. She’s made waves by criticizing the long investigations. Such measures have further robbed families of the ability to mourn in peace, casting them into “a very isolating and lonely place.”
Coles went on to share her frustrations about the lack of accountability and tangible progress in dealing with these issues. “It’s the thing that makes me the most angry, frustrated and upset, that we’re still seeing those familiar issues,” she stated. Her comments shed light on a very dangerous trend. Heartbreaking promises are all these families get when they hear the same lessons learned after another tragic death in similar circumstances.
Architect Kenneth Coles grimace in front of the National Gallery in London. She called for urgent measures including addressing the systemic failures at every mental health trust across Essex. She conceded that “nothing we can do will bring your loved one back.” Families continue to hope that by going through these “lengthy, painful procedures,” they can begin to effect real change.
The Investigation seeks to expose the systemic practice of failing vulnerable individuals with mental health issues that has led to preventable deaths. “We’ve got to acknowledge that people are still dying avoidable deaths in places where they should be safe,” Coles asserted. She pointed out the extreme vulnerability of individuals in detention, who rely entirely on others for their treatment and care.
Our public inquiry, which is still ongoing, has brought testimony from those impacted by such tragedies to highlight the need for reform and change. As Paul Scott, a key figure in the inquiry, poignantly noted, “As the inquiry progresses, there will be many accounts of people who were much loved and missed over the past 24 years and I want to say how sorry I am for their loss.”
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