On 28 June 2023, it was announced that the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry will be granted statutory status under the Inquiries Act 2005. On 4 September 2023, it was announced that the Chair to the Inquiry will be Baroness Kate Lampard CBE.
You can read the most recent updates from the Inquiry here.
On 10th November, the Inquiry team announced its first call for evidence.
The team are inviting the following people to give their evidence:
- families, friends, and carers of inpatients who died across NHS Trusts in Essex between 2000-2020
- anyone else with experience of inpatient mental health care in Essex between 2000-2020.
This can be done by either attending an evidence session or providing written evidence.
Evidence session
An evidence session is your chance to speak to the Inquiry team in a safe and non-judgemental environment about your experiences. You may share any information you feel is relevant to the Inquiry. We will not interrogate you during evidence sessions or put you on the spot; instead, this is an opportunity for your voice to be heard, and for us to learn from you.
FAQs on the evidence sessions can be found here.
Written evidence
Alternatively, you may prefer to provide written evidence to the Inquiry. If this is the case, the Inquiry can provide you with a written template which you can use for your submission.
Here is a message from the Chair to the Inquiry, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, in which she answers some questions you may have about giving evidence:
If you wish to come forward and speak to us, you can get in touch via:
- email at contact@lampard-og.local
- voicemail on 0207 972 3500
- post, our address is: EMHII, PO Box 78136, LONDON, SW1P 9WW.
If you would prefer, you can use the webform to send us your contact details.
The Inquiry has also invited staff to give evidence. You can read more about this here.
