THE family of a loving mum who died after she was “let down” by a hospital have backed calls for a statutory public inquiry into mental health services in Essex.
Michelle Morton, 29, died while she was being treated as an inpatient at the Lakes Mental Health Hospital in Colchester.
A jury inquest at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court returned an open, narrative conclusion, which detailed multiple failings in Michelle’s care.
The jury found there had been failures to perform health and safety checks, inadequate staffing levels and training around awareness of risks for patients.
Michelle’s sister Joanna said: “Far too often families and vulnerable people have been failed by mental health care in Essex, and I back the calls for a statutory independent inquiry into services in the county.
“The current inquiry is too weak and will not hold to account those responsible for the death of Michelle and many other family’s loved ones.”
A campaign, backed by a collective of 92 families, has seen more than 12,000 people sign a petition calling for a public inquiry into mental health services in Essex.
The organisers said: “We hope to secure the first ever mental health statutory public inquiry, to bring this out into the open, to defibrillate our system, and to improve every aspect of treatment and care in both hospitals and in the community.”
The campaigners say an ongoing inquiry into Essex mental health services, ordered by former minister Nadine Dorries, is “limited and unhelpful”.
The inquiry is examining cases of people who died while mental health in-patients at NHS trusts in Essex from January 2000 to December 2020. It is expected to conclude in 2023.
It is hearing evidence from families, carers and friends of those who died, as well as staff, former staff and professionals with experience in the field.
The inquiry’s website says it is “independent of government and the health care system” and will deliver a “focused, independent and robust inquiry”.
It adds: “We wish to give the families and loved ones of those who died a chance to tell their story and inform change.”
Find the petition at chng.it/VHnPWM8L.
For more information on the ongoing inquiry, visit its dedicated website.
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