Essex mental health trust ‘sorry’ for ‘failing’ patients, families and carers

The trust responsible for running mental health services in Essex has apologised to patients, families and carers for “failing to meet expectations”.

In its opening statement to the Lampard inquiry, Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) said these failings were compounded by a failure to properly listen to the “concerns of patients, their families and friends”.

The inquiry is looking into at least 2,000 deaths of people with mental illness in Essex over a 24-year period.

Barrister Eleanor Gray KC, representing EPUT, said: “The Trust once again offers its condolences to all those who have lost loved ones and understands that no matter the steadfast hope and belief that an investigation will provide the answers they are seeking, nothing can bring their loved ones back to life.”

She added that patients, families and carers have a “right to expect safe services” but such services are “not always delivered”.

Mr Gray said EPUT was committed to improving mental health care and the trust “understands the importance of learning lessons”.

Before the legal inquiry was launched, only 14 of 11,000 EPUT employees had come forward to give evidence.

But the trust said it was “committed to being forthright” and viewed the investigation as a “forum for openness and transparency”.

Mr Gray was aware that serious issues had been raised about staff behaviour, including neglect and abuse of patients and staff falling asleep.

“We are aware of serious allegations of sexual assault by staff members against patients, and sexual assault by staff members against other staff members.”

She said sexual safety was an “ongoing issue” and pointed to a 2018 National Care Quality Commission report which found sexual safety incidents were “commonplace” on psychiatric wards.

Mr Gray said the trust was investing £14.4 million in improvements in 2024/25 and had already implemented a “complete transformation programme”, making wards safer and introducing new technology such as body-worn cameras.

But she pointed to the national pressures facing mental health services, saying there is “increasing demand for services” and “significant pressure on bed availability”.

She also said the trust was affected by national recruitment issues such as a nursing shortage, which was affecting staff workload, morale and the ability of staff to deliver quality care.

Gray said the trust is conducting a major recruiting drive to add 1,700 staff in 2023, and vacancy rates have fallen to 10 percent from a record high of 40 percent in 2020.

She said much of the recruitment was done overseas.

In her opening speech, the inquiry’s chair, Baroness Lampard, warned that the death toll was expected to be “significantly higher” than the 2,000 figure previously reported.

But he added that they may never know the true figures.

Gray, representing EPUT, said the survey also included patients whose deaths were natural and unrelated to mental illness, including those who were terminally ill, and questioned the numbers.

She added: “It is clear that concerns have been raised in a number of reports about the quality of the data across England.”

North East London NHS Foundation Trust, which runs children and young people’s services in parts of Essex, also said it was “sorry”.

Valerie Sharbitt, from the trust, said: “We are committed to learning and changing to prevent further deaths from mental illness.”

Families are due to read impact statements at the inquiry next week, with evidence hearings set to begin in London in 2025.