MP: Families need answers
During a Statement in the House of Commons this afternoon, the Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, announced that the Essex Mental Health Inquiry will be converted to a statutory inquiry, as per the Inquiries Act 2005. This will give it extra powers to secure information and testimony. The inquiry is looking into matters surrounding the deaths of mental health patients across Essex NHS trusts between 2000 and 2020.
John said,
“I welcome the news today that this inquiry has been moved to a statutory basis. Families of those affected need answers and unfortunately the non-statutory basis of this inquiry to date has failed to deliver due to low response rates. This new statutory inquiry will now put this right.”
