Latest news with #MelanieLeahy
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Bereaved mothers call for urgent action to fix mental health services
A pair of bereaved mothers have called for urgent action to fix mental health services in Northern Ireland which they say failed their sons. Kirsty Scott and Mary Gould were among the group of campaigners who have been backed by Melanie Leahy, who led a 10-year campaign for a public inquiry into more thnan 2,000 mental health-related deaths in Essex between 2000 and 2023. Professor Phil Scraton also backed the families during the meeting hosted by New Script for Mental Health, a grassroots mental health rights movement. Ms Leahy's son Matthew, 20, died in 2012 while a patient at a mental health facility, and described more than a decade of 'fighting for the truth'. She said she has been in contact with the families from Northern Ireland for several months thanks to social media highlighting their campaign. 'What I need to say is whether you're a mum or a dad, you've got kids or you've got elderly parents, at some stage you're going to come across the mental health system, we're here and we've been failed by it,' she told the PA news agency. 'We're not standing here just to get some notoriety, we're here to try and change the system that is failing whether it is kids with special education needs (SEN), autism, ADHD. 'If whatever I am doing in the UK can make some change or a ripple over here then I am going to carry on. 'The system failed me in 2012, we're three bereaved mothers who are united, and there are 30,000 more behind us. 'We will somehow carry on and bring about the change that is needed, but it is hard and we need governments to stand up and the whole country needs to unite to bring about the changes. 'These mums ain't going anywhere, we've got so many angels behind us now that are pushing for this change.' Ms Gould, a midwife from Ballymena welcomed the support, and the inclusion of a photo of her son Conall in a montage displayed at the Lampard Inquiry which concluded earlier this year. The 21-year-old died in 2017 during a struggle with mental health. She described the standards of care within mental health as 'atrocious', and said she feels that those who speak out 'have our voices silenced by a system unwilling to acknowledge the breadth of this crisis'. Ms Scott said they are determined to ensure lasting change. Her son William was diagnosed at the age of 19 with autism after what she termed a '15-year battle' including misdiagnosis. He died of an accidental drugs overdose. 'There is not one lesson being learned, all the promises, all the inquiries you go through, people saying sorry, not one word has meant anything because nothing has changed, if anything the mental health system in this country has got worse,' she said. 'I have battled for the last 12 years since my son died, and I can honestly say it has got worse.' She added: 'My story was a perfect storm, but the problem is my perfect storm is also a lot of other people's story because there are too many perfect storms waiting to happen.' Campaign organiser Sara Boyce said Northern Ireland families look forward to learning from the hard-won experience of the Essex campaigners and believe those lessons must be urgently applied here. ' Families involved in New Script are united in their desire to ensure that the harm and loss they experienced because of health service failures should never happen to other families,' she said. 'Yet the sad reality is that lessons are not being learnt. 'First hand experiences of families, coupled with multiple investigations, inquiries, and reviews, all point to the abject failure of the Health and Social Care Service (HSC) leadership to learn from their mistakes and implement changes recommended.'
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Colin Flatt: Footballer's daughter frustrated by inquest delay
The daughter of a former professional footballer, who died in 2021, said she was "very disappointed" that an inquest into his death had been adjourned for a further 14 Flatt - who played for Southend United, Leyton Orient and Barnet in the 1960s and 70s - died in September 2021, aged eight-day inquest into his death commenced on 9 June, but assistant coroner Tina Harrington ruled that, for legal reasons, it should be heard in front of a jury, with the soonest available date being August Taylor, daughter of Mr Flatt, told Essex Coroner's Court that "words fail me" after the adjournment was announced. 'Reluctant' decision Mr Flatt was described as "forever a Shrimper" in a tribute from the Southend United Ex-Players Association, which said that he scored eight goals in 24 appearances during the 1966-67 also walked out at Wembley in the FA Trophy for Barnet in 1972, and played for other clubs including Taylor expressed her frustration as the inquest into her father's death was delayed for more than a the assistant coroner, she asked: "Is the jury going to make a difference? I don't know. Will the outcome be different to what you would have ruled? I don't know.""It was a delay which could have been avoided."Ms Harrington told Mrs Taylor, "I can only apologise", adding that her decision to adjourn had been a "reluctant" one. Mr Flatt's partner of 20 years, Melanie Leahy, has been one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Lampard Inquiry into more than 2,000 mental health deaths in Essex between 2000 and 2012, Ms Leahy's son Matthew, 20, died while he was under the care of NHS mental health services in the inquest into Mr Flatt's death is set to resume on 17 August 2026. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
ITV News
28-04-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Lampard Inquiry: Probe into Essex mental health deaths to hear new evidence
An inquiry into the deaths of more than 2,000 people while under the care of mental health services is moving on to its latest stage. The Lampard Inquiry is looking into deaths at NHS-run children and adult inpatient units in Essex between 2000 and 2023 and has previously heard from grieving families about the care their loved ones received. The new round of hearings, which started in London on Monday and is due to end on 15 May, will hear evidence from health and safety professionals. These include the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Health and Safety Executive. The next stage of the Lampard Inquiry is expected to attract a protest from campaigners including bereaved relatives of loved ones who died while receiving care under the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, (EPUT) and the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT). During the inquiry opening in Chelmsford last year, the chairwoman of the inquiry, Baroness Kate Lampard CBE, said "we may never know" the true number of people who died. But she warned it is expected to be "significantly in excess" of the 2,000 deaths previously reported. The inquiry is not looking at deaths in the community unless they happened within three months of discharge from a mental health unit, the patient had been refused a bed or they were on a waiting list for a bed. Melanie Leahy, whose 20-year-old son Matthew died while under the care of the Linden Centre in Essex in November 2012, will be one of the campaigners outside the hearing on Monday. She said: "It's been years of heartbreak, unanswered questions, and fighting just to be heard, having lost two loved ones to a system that was supposed to care for them. "We cannot ignore the reality that over 2,000 deaths under Essex mental health are under investigation. That number keeps growing. "Behind every statistic is a person – a son, a daughter, a friend. This is not just numbers on a page, these are real lives that have been cut short. "This inquiry is more than a box-ticking exercise. It's a chance to bring the truth to light. Our loved ones cannot rest in peace until the truth about the mental health failings is exposed. "If the inquiry does nothing to change the poor services, people will continue to be abused, overmedicated, and die." Nina Ali, a partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, which represents 126 families, described the inquiry as a "pivotal moment" adding: "We must hold a mirror up to our mental health services and face the grave reality that our clients have suffered and are continuing to suffer. "We are deeply concerned that these issues are not solely exclusive to Essex." Paul Scott, chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said: "As the inquiry progresses, there will be many accounts of people who were much loved and missed over the past 24 years and I want to say how sorry I am for their loss. "All of us across healthcare have a responsibility to work together to improve care and treatment for all and to build on the improvements that have already been made over the last 24 years."
ITV News
27-04-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Mental health inquiry into patient deaths to hear from health and safety execs
An inquiry into the deaths of more than 2,000 people while under the care of mental health services in Essex is to hear evidence from health and safety professionals. The Lampard Inquiry is examining deaths at NHS-run children and adult inpatient units in Essex between 2000 and 2023 and has previously heard from grieving families about the care their loved ones received. Last year the chairwoman of the inquiry, Baroness Kate Lampard, said 'we may never know' the true number of people who died, but warned it is expected to be 'significantly in excess' of the 2,000 deaths previously reported. All the patient deaths occurred while people were under the care of the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, (EPUT) and the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT). The inquiry, which has moved to Arundel House in London from Essex for the next stage of hearings, is not looking at deaths in the community unless they happened within three months of discharge from a mental health unit, the patient had been refused a bed or they were on a waiting list for a bed. For the latest stage of hearings, which runs from Monday to May 15, the inquiry will hear from organisations including the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Melanie Leahy, whose 20-year-old son Matthew died while under the care of the Linden Centre in Essex, will be joined by fellow campaigners outside the hearing on Monday. She said: 'It's been years of heartbreak, unanswered questions, and fighting just to be heard, having lost two loved ones to a system that was supposed to care for them. 'We cannot ignore the reality that over 2,000 deaths under Essex mental health are under investigation. That number keeps growing. 'Behind every statistic is a person – a son, a daughter, a friend. This is not just numbers on a page, these are real lives that have been cut short. 'This inquiry is more than a box-ticking exercise. It's a chance to bring the truth to light. Our loved ones cannot rest in peace until the truth about the mental health failings is exposed. 'If the inquiry does nothing to change the poor services, people will continue to be abused, overmedicated, and die.' Nina Ali, a partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, which represents 126 families, said: 'This is a pivotal moment for our clients, the enormity of which we hope is not lost on anyone who provides evidence during this section of the inquiry. 'We must hold a mirror up to our mental health services and face the grave reality that our clients have suffered and are continuing to suffer. 'We are deeply concerned that these issues are not solely exclusive to Essex. 'We are hopeful that everyone will come to the inquiry with the same aim – to expose the truth. Without full transparency, lessons can not be learned, and lives will still be lost.' Paul Scott, chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'As the inquiry progresses, there will be many accounts of people who were much loved and missed over the past 24 years and I want to say how sorry I am for their loss. 'All of us across healthcare have a responsibility to work together to improve care and treatment for all and to build on the improvements that have already been made over the last 24 years.'
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mental health inquiry into patient deaths to hear from health and safety execs
An inquiry into the deaths of more than 2,000 people while under the care of mental health services in Essex is to hear evidence from health and safety professionals. The Lampard Inquiry is examining deaths at NHS-run children and adult inpatient units in Essex between 2000 and 2023 and has previously heard from grieving families about the care their loved ones received. Last year the chairwoman of the inquiry, Baroness Kate Lampard, said 'we may never know' the true number of people who died, but warned it is expected to be 'significantly in excess' of the 2,000 deaths previously reported. All the patient deaths occurred while people were under the care of the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, (EPUT) and the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT). The inquiry, which has moved to Arundel House in London from Essex for the next stage of hearings, is not looking at deaths in the community unless they happened within three months of discharge from a mental health unit, the patient had been refused a bed or they were on a waiting list for a bed. For the latest stage of hearings, which runs from Monday to May 15, the inquiry will hear from organisations including the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Melanie Leahy, whose 20-year-old son Matthew died while under the care of the Linden Centre in Essex, will be joined by fellow campaigners outside the hearing on Monday. She said: 'It's been years of heartbreak, unanswered questions, and fighting just to be heard, having lost two loved ones to a system that was supposed to care for them. 'We cannot ignore the reality that over 2,000 deaths under Essex mental health are under investigation. That number keeps growing. 'Behind every statistic is a person – a son, a daughter, a friend. This is not just numbers on a page, these are real lives that have been cut short. 'This inquiry is more than a box-ticking exercise. It's a chance to bring the truth to light. Our loved ones cannot rest in peace until the truth about the mental health failings is exposed. 'If the inquiry does nothing to change the poor services, people will continue to be abused, overmedicated, and die.' Nina Ali, a partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, which represents 126 families, said: 'This is a pivotal moment for our clients, the enormity of which we hope is not lost on anyone who provides evidence during this section of the inquiry. 'We must hold a mirror up to our mental health services and face the grave reality that our clients have suffered and are continuing to suffer. 'We are deeply concerned that these issues are not solely exclusive to Essex. 'We are hopeful that everyone will come to the inquiry with the same aim – to expose the truth. Without full transparency, lessons can not be learned, and lives will still be lost.' Paul Scott, chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'As the inquiry progresses, there will be many accounts of people who were much loved and missed over the past 24 years and I want to say how sorry I am for their loss. 'All of us across healthcare have a responsibility to work together to improve care and treatment for all and to build on the improvements that have already been made over the last 24 years.'
