“wouldn’t you make it your life’s mission to find out how and why your child died?!”

I write in support of the 66 grieving families who are calling for a Statutory Public Inquiry (SPI) into psychiatric facilities run by mental health services in Essex. In these facilities, their unfortunate loved ones have been mistreated, abused, beaten, raped or have died.

Clearly, there is no rational argument against not commissioning an Statutory Public Inquiry when there have been multiple deaths under the governance of one Trust. But when these deaths have happened in the same facilities where multiple incidents of patient safety failures have also occurred, how can there NOT be an Statutory Public Inquiry ?

Matthew Leahy’s mother Melanie, has fought for many years to find out what happened to her son, without success. Indeed, all 66 families have struggled hard, for many years, just like Melanie, to get their questions answered, but again, without success.

Clearly, the system has failed their loved ones and in turn, has failed them too.

Imagine if your child died inexplicably in a psychiatric facility, not by suicide, but just died. Along with your devastation and heartbreak, you would feel something very wrong must have happened, you would have many questions and you’d want them answered immediately.

Now imagine that your questions and concerns are met with odd, evasive or very unlikely explanations, answers so strange, they set off alarm bells – you absolutely can tell, something  happened that shouldn’t have happened. In your intense grief and consequent anger, you go all-out to find the truth, only to discover you are powerless to gain access to the events that led to your child’s death. I ask you: wouldn’t you make it your life’s mission to find out how and why your child died?!

Without question, Melanie and these 66 families have waited long enough to find out what happened to their loved ones and to see that those responsible for the failed care are called to account.

Again, let me ask you, who amongst us would NOT demand exactly the same for our own child, parent, spouse or sibling?

Those responsible for mental health services in Essex must be open to having their procedures corrected and if needed, exploring remedies to prevent future injury/death of the patients in their care.

Important to remember: the Mental Health Act is there to help people who are in a vulnerable state, who need loving care in a place of safety. Any departures from that goal – and these families can attest to many – must be remedied. To do less than that would be criminal negligence.

Where the objective is the improvement of conditions and safety for all patients, I believe only good can come from a Statutory Public Inquiry.

~ Vivian Kubrick, February 17th 2021 ~