Fighting for Justice - Families calling for a Statutory Public Inquiry into MH Services

Fighting for Justice - Families calling for a Statutory Public Inquiry into MH Services

Started
21 January 2021
Petition to
Steve Barclay MP (Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) and 3 others
Signatures: 13,525Next Goal: 15,000
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by Melanie Leahy

Essex Families United for Statutory Public Inquiry Call.

Not 62, not 63, not 64, not 65 not 87 but now 92 failed Essex families are campaigning for a Statutory Public Inquiry, all of whom have lost a relative or been personally failed  during or after being under the care of Essex Mental Health Services,  and the number is growing.

WE WANT TO MAKE HISTORY! - We need you to help us do this!

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN HERE 

DONATE TO HELP US WITH VITAL FUNDING HERE

(U TUBE - Families unite In their call) 

 
We hope to secure the 1st 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.

(Please make sure you click on email to confirm your signature ‘ check spam box if not received. Thanks )

We are a collective of 92 families

- 92 families just like yours
- 92 families living a nightmare and in pain.
- 92 families who 'have' (or sadly as the case may be, 'had'), amazing children, young adults, and elderly loved ones failed by 'the system.'
 
- A system which should have kept them all safe, and well.
 
Instead, many of our children are now dead - Many of our young adults are now dead. Many of our elderly family members are now dead.
 
- All of them are dead, 'needlessly.'
 
Many of our loved ones were extremely vulnerable. Some of them were neurodivergent with Special Educational Needs (SEND) and identify (or identified) as Autistic, ADHDers or Dyslexics.
Some of our loved ones have/had medical conditions such as B12 deficiencies, Dementia, or PTSD and sadly, some of our loved ones battled with their Mental Health.

Some of them are still fighting today, and others lost their fight when they could fight no more.

http://www.curementalhealth.co.uk/the-essex-families-fighting-for-justice-for-their-loved-ones/

Minister Nadine Dorries is organising a very limited and unhelpful non-statutory inquiry which won’t even compel witnesses to testify.

We need an opportunity to break the back of causation and change direction.

This is it.

It is essential to get to the truth of what happened – all those families whose loved ones died whilst they were under the care of Essex mental health services are owed answers for their loss.”

“A statutory public inquiry is needed to ensure that a comprehensive and in-depth investigation is carried out and those responsible are held to account. It is only then, that things can and will begin to change for the better.”

“The call for a statutory public inquiry is to include everyone affected by the failings of Essex mental health services: families of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly who have died and individuals who have been through ‘the system’ and suffered but survived.”

’It is not only families of the bereaved who are coming forward but also ex-patients from whom we’ve heard shocking reports of abuse suffered by the victims whilst in care. These stories are harrowing.”

“Vulnerable people have entered what are meant to be centres of trust and safety – a number voluntarily submitted themselves for help – only to be abused and exploited by some professionals who should protect them.”

“They went in hoping for help and support  and leave – if they leave – in a much worse off state than before.”

“No family, no individual should ever have to go through that. These families have been failed by the organisations that are set up to treat and care for patients.”

 

Meet some of our families:-

Melanie Leahy

This campaign started after the death of my son Matthew James Leahy:

7th November 2012, Matthew was placed under section 3 of the mental health Act and admitted to the Linden Centre, in Chelmsford, Essex.

By 15th November, some seven days in the, ʻcare of the state,ʼ my son was dead.
The last days of his life in a place he called, ʻHell.ʼ And I now believe it truly was, ʻhell on earthʼ. read more ....

 

Holly Storey

Great Dunmow dad Kevin peters, left heartbreaking note to mental health services before taking his own life. 

A father of two believed he wasn’t being listened to by mental health services before his death, his widow claims. Read more....

Lisa Morris

Maldon dad Ben Morris ‘wanted out’ of Chelmsford’s Linden Centre minutes before he was found hanged.

The 20-year-old, who had ADHD, was admitted to the mental health unit at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford on December 8, 2008, but tragically lost his life just 20 days later. Read more.....

Lisa Morris lost her son Ben Morris in 2008:

"A Statutory public inquiry is my last hope of ever getting the truth surrounding Ben’s death. How many more have to die? When will it ever end if there is no public inquiry now?"

Julia Hooper

Southend teenager Chris Nota attempted to take his own life “four times” prior to his death in July, his mum has claimed.

The 19-year-old, who suffered from autism, died after falling from the Queensway overpass in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, on Tuesday, July 7. 2020 Read more....


Robert and Linda Wade

The 30-year-old was found ligatured just 12 hours after being admitted to the Linden Centre in Chelmsford, Essex, in May 2015, while his parents had come to visit him. Read more ...

Sofia Dimoglou

An Essex grandma who died while on day release from a mental health unit warned staff she would kill herself if they let her go, her daughter claims. Read more ....

Sofia Dimoglou lost her mum Valerie Dimoglou in 2015:

"A Statutory public inquiry would mean that we at least live in a society where someone with authority cares about the lives of those affected by mental health issues - young, old, everyone. Maybe it could really herald a change in Essex and across the country."

Amanda Cook

Glenn Holmes was 19 when he died alone from an accidental overdose at his temporary housing on July 7, 2012, just days before he was due to move into assisted living accommodation. Read More......

Amanda Cook lost her brother Glenn Holmes in 2012:

"For me, a Statutory public inquiry will help to protect people in the future who suffer with mental health conditions. They deserve the help that my brother did not get but so desperately wanted.

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Bereaved families are uniting in their call for a Statutory public inquiry into the deaths and failed care of patients under the care of Essex Mental Health Services.

The campaign is also now being backed by a London law firm and we are calling on other families in the county who believe their loved ones were failed to join us.

We are urging those families that have lost loved ones, anywhere in Essex, yes get involved, please, we have strength in numbers, don't let their deaths be in vain.

What is a `statutory public inquiry?

A Statutory public inquiry is a major investigation called by a government Minister. It  is run independently.

A recent well known public inquiry was The Grenfell Tower inquiry following a fatal fire in a London block of flats in 2017. 

Under the 2005 Inquiries Act, an inquiry may be held when it appears to a Minister that ‘particular events have caused, or are capable of causing, public concern.’ 

Inquiries are major investigations that can compel testimony and the release of evidence. 

The primary purpose of a statutory public inquiry is considered to be preventing recurrence of anything similar to what it is investigating. 

While inquiries may address who is to blame, it has no power to determine any person’s civil or criminal liability.  

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Multiple unchecked deaths have occurred. Multiple patients and families failed by a system that has killed rather than helped and learnt nothing on the way. 

Essex families want the Truth. We will fight until we get it. 


www.curementalhealth.co.uk
www.curementalhealth.co.uk/families-United-for-public-inquiry-call/

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Statutory Public Inquiry into Essex Mental Health Services Now !

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Signatures: 13,525Next Goal: 15,000
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Decision-Makers

  • Steve Barclay MPDeputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
  • Rishi Sunak MPPrime Minister
  • Brandon Lewis CBE MPSecretary of State for Justice
  • Maria Caulfield MPParliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care