#matthewscampaign -Change Our Mental Health System
Please donate whatever you can to support my work for #matthewscampaign.
To ultimately save lives and force change across the country and maybe even the world, to a failing mental health system.
Who was Matthew?
Matthew was my son. Matthew was detained under the Mental Health Act at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford, Essex. Eight days later he was found unresponsive in his room.
Essex Partnership University NHS Trust said care provided by a former trust “fell below acceptable standards”.
The ombudsman found, among other failures, that he did not have a nurse in charge, his physical health was neglected and there was a failure of observation at a critical time.
“There have been 20 investigations, nine reports, three reviews but I know I still haven’t had all the answers as far as Matthew is concerned.”
Matthew had reported to Essex police that he had been raped and that he was bleeding heavily. He was ignored. Essex Police investigated and no arrests were made, but the ombudsman, which followed up my complaints, found the mental health trust failed to follow its own rape allegation procedures.
“What we discovered as a result of our investigation were serious failures and maladministration in 19 instances in his care,” said Rob Behrens, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
“After Matthew died, members of staff went to the care plan and changed it to make it look as though a care plan was in place before he died.
“That is disgraceful.”
Not just for Matthew.
I gathered more than 100000 signatures to get Matthews death raised in Parliament.
After 11 years of campaigning, I have secured, with the help of a host of amazing individuals, the first ever Statutory Public Inquiry in history of the mental health system.
After the inquest into my sons needless death in 2012. I was left with so many questions and knew so many lies had been told.
My campaigning has led to 2000 other deaths coming to light (for which I am sure there are many many more)
I help and advise families and our most vulnerable on a daily basis. This work is not funded and I would so love to continue it, but I need your help.
Why is your donation needed?:-
- Funding is needed to afford new publicity materials. Banners/ leaflets/ internet/T-shirts etc.
- To afford accommodation during the public inquiry, travelling expenses etc.
- To enable us to continue our social media presence www.curementalhealth.co.uk
- To enable us to continue to support and advise other families.
Just recently I began working with Professor Simon Baron-Cohen with his study co-designing new scientific research as part of a broad suicide prevention project.(Professor Baron-Cohen is Director of ACE, as well as of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, and a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He has published over 700 peer-reviewed scientific articles and received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List in 2021 for his services to autistic people.). This is being led by the Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge (ACE), a charity that translates research evidence into real-world outcomes for autistic people around the world.
I really hope to be working with other specialists in their fields of mental health/ eating disorders/B12 deficiency/ alzhimers etc so at the end of the inquiry positive change can be made in many different areas of the mental health system.
Your contributions will be valuable in helping me to fulfil this dream.
Thankyou
Melanie Leahy x
Want to know more?:-
Website LinkThe website : www.curementalhealth.co.uk
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