The independent Lampard Inquiry, as it is known, is ongoing in London. It is the first of England’s public inquiry into mental health deaths and centres around shocking figures emerging from inpatient facilities in Essex. Baroness Kate Lampard is the chair of this important inquiry, which will be preceded by other public sessions in September and November.
During the inquiry, Fiona Murphy KC, who represents bereaved families, revealed an “extraordinary and shocking number of deaths” in these units. Families have expressed their frustration and grief over what they describe as a “systematic collapse of acceptable service delivery” in Essex, which has compromised the effectiveness of Article 2 inquests. These inquests are essential for impartially and effectively investigating deaths that happen in state custody.
Murphy stressed the emotional, physical, and spiritual damage done by the “institutional defensiveness” exhibited by health purveyors. This type of behavior undermines the inquest process and prevents families from achieving closure. Most recently, she pointed out that these performative and defensive moves only tenfold block the truth. They cause lasting emotional trauma to families mourning a loved one.
“These defensive behaviours cause real harm. They cause the retraumatisation of grieving families, they obstruct the truth, they obstruct lesson learning and they act as a fundamental bar and barrier to change.” – Fiona Murphy KC
Families are carrying out their protest with placards as they continue to demand accountability from mental health trusts in Essex. This intellectual climate of curiosity is electrified by their unyielding demand for justice. These families should continue to feel empowered to speak out about their negative experiences. Perils beyond policing They criticize the delays in these inquest proceedings as “distressing and appalling.”
Murphy expressed her deep concern regarding the representation of lessons learned following these tragedies, stating, “There has also been shameful misrepresentation that lessons have been learned when they have not.” This quoted heroin serves to highlight the continuing fight for transparency and accountability in the mental health system.
Baroness Lampard, sitting in Arundel House London, made a promise to continue getting to the bottom of this truth as the inquiry moves on. She emphasized the need to hear from families of those who have died during the past 24 years.
“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.”
The investigation is finding all sorts of important gaps in mental health care in Essex. Justice for our bereaved communities and families are waiting on justice and accountability for the loss of loved ones. Whatever happens next, these revelations raise immediate questions about wide-scale practices employed in mental health trusts. To avoid more harm like the families we’ve lost, we require radical change.
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