They died in conditions that were “unexpected, unexplained or self-inflicted” between 2000 and 2020 and while being treated by NHS mental health trusts who for years had persistently complained of poor care. The 1,500 cases involve children and young people as well as adults. All 1,500 were particularly vulnerable after their mental health deteriorated and they died either while being treated in a psychiatric unit or within three months of being discharged. Dr Geraldine Strathdee, who is leading the investigation, said some of the information she and her team had gathered so far was worrying and included “unacceptable examples of apathetic behavior that families believe has contributed to the death of a loved one”. Revealing the initial findings from her research so far, Strathdee said the families had suffered “unimaginable pain and heartache” and needed major changes. So far he has identified three recurring failures in the North Essex and South Essex mental health trusts that no longer operate on the NHS of the University of Essex Partnership. This was created in 2017 from the merger of previous trusts and provided the details of the 1,500 cases currently under consideration. They are:
Serious concerns about patients’ physical, mental and sexual safety while in the ward, including allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Strathdee, a leading psychiatrist and former national clinical director of mental health care at NHS England, examines 21 key areas of care. They include the trust management of patients ‘risk of self-harm and suicide, the use of restraint, the use of drugs and the management of drug regimes, and how well they responded to patients’ physical health needs. The research was founded in January 2021 by Nadine Dorries, the then Minister of Mental Health, as an uninstitutionalized independent research. He acted amid continuing concerns about the quality and safety of mental health in Essex and following a 2019 investigation by Rob Behrens, the parliamentary ombudsman and health services, who identified many weaknesses in the events surrounding the death of 20-year-old Matthew Leahy . and another young man named only Mr. R. Inquest, which investigates deaths in custody and home mental health care, said the deaths were tantamount to a “national scandal”. Selen Cavcav, a charity senior at the charity, said: “Unfortunately we are not shocked by the findings because we have known for a long time how insecure these services are and the huge number of people affected by them. “The scale of this problem and the details of the many deaths of people under the care of Essex mental health services are nothing short of a national scandal.” Some families with a relative who died while or after receiving mental health care in Essex refused to participate in the Strathdee investigation because it is not a complete public investigation. Cavcav said: “We continue to believe that only a multi-tooth investigation, ie a legitimate public inquiry, will restore confidence and ensure the widest possible control to deal with the unacceptable number of deaths of people in the care of services. Essex mental health. ” However, he added: “Essex is not the only country with a high number of deaths that can be prevented by mental health patients, in a country where the mental health system has long failed countless people in need.” In a brief statement, Paul Scott, CEO of the merged Essex Trust, did not apologize for the failures or the lives lost. He added: “We continue to support ongoing research and encourage service users, family, carers and staff to share their experiences with the investigation team so that they have a complete picture of their recommendations.” Strathdee is appealing to former patients and relatives of those who died to speak out in the investigation, which has set up a Twitter account to encourage people to share their experiences.
