Nina Ali, HJA Partner continues fight with families for Statutory Public Inquiry into Essex Mental Health Services
Melanie Leahy and other members of the 53 families will take their campaign to Downing Street today and deliver a letter expressing their disappointment directly to the Prime Minister, after an Independent Review was announced to look into failings at the Linden Centre over a 20 year period.
Nina Ali, Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, states: “Melanie and other families have fought too hard and for too long to be now fobbed off with yet another investigation that we all know will simply not provide the answers so desperately needed. If the Government are serious about improving mental health care, then it must be the case that those responsible are obliged to attend and compelled to give their evidence on oath, and the only way to do that is via a statutory public inquiry.”
The letter will be delivered at approximately 2.15 pm on Wednesday 9 December to No 10 Downing Street. Melanie will also be lighting a candle in memory of all their loved ones and to Jayden Booroff, 23 years old, whose funeral takes place in Chelmsford, at the same time. Jayden is the latest patient to be failed whilst under the care of Essex Partnership University Trust.
Melanie put the letter out for signatures on Saturday 5 December and in that time has obtained over 2000 signatures in support.
Deborah Coles, Director of the charity INQUEST said: “An independent inquiry without the backing of the families affected will not take us further than the countless previous investigations and inquests. None have prevented further deaths or enabled accountability and change. Now nothing less than a full Statutory Public Inquiry will suffice. If not for the dedication and persistence of families affected, the failings in Essex mental health services would never have come to light. The minister owes it to these families, who have been already been repeatedly failed by the state, to meet their demands.”
You can keep up to date with the campaign by following Melanie Leahy on Twitter and by searching for the hashtag, #MatthewsCampaign.