Lampard Inquiry. Read indexed debates, questions, statements and early day motions, with links to the original parliamentary records.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what has been the total cost to date of the Lampard Inquiry.
The Lampard Inquiry has published information on its expenditure at the following link:https://lampardinquiry.org.uk/financial-report/
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the Lampard Inquiry to report; and what steps he is taking to support the Inquiry.
Although the Department sponsors the Lampard Inquiry, the inquiry is independent of the Government. Baroness Lampard has committed to publish the final report as soon as possible and the inquiry will publish its intended timescales in due course. The next hearings are due to commence on 13 October 2025, with further hearings scheduled throughout 2026.
The Government is committed to ensuring that lessons are learned from the Lampard Inquiry to improve patient safety. The Department is a core participant to the inquiry and will give evidence. We are confident that the inquiry will play an important role in identifying wider learning for the health system and will contribute to improvements in patient safety. The inquiry continues to be funded by the Department.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to integrate the recommendations of the Lampard inquiry into mental health services nationwide.
The Lampard Statutory Inquiry began public hearings in September 2024. The Department will await the findings of the Inquiry and will consider its recommendations once submitted by the Chair. In the meantime, we are working with NHS England to understand the factors driving poor quality and safety in inpatient and community mental health settings to ensure patients are treated with dignity and respect throughout their treatment in a mental health hospital.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Victoria Atkins MP) made the following Written Statement:I am today updating Parliament that the Terms of Reference for the Lampard Inquiry have been finalised and were published on 10 April on gov.uk: Lampard Inquiry: terms of reference - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy of a letter to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and the Terms of Reference were also deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. Due to ...
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Victoria Atkins MP) made the following Written Statement:
I am today updating Parliament that the Terms of Reference for the Lampard Inquiry have been finalised and were published on 10 April on gov.uk: Lampard Inquiry: terms of reference - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy of a letter to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and the Terms of Reference were also deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. Due to Parliamentary recess, this Statement is being made in Parliament today.
My deepest sympathies continue to go to all the families who have been affected by the tragic deaths of mental health patients across NHS Trusts in Essex. Patients should feel confident, safe, and supported - especially when receiving help for their mental health, which can be a time of great vulnerability. This was not the case for many mental health inpatients in Essex between 2000 and 2023, where many patients ended up tragically and needlessly dying - leaving their bereaved families with questions that need answering. I wish to thank those families who met me while I considered the Terms of Reference.
The former non-statutory Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry was converted to a statutory inquiry on 27 October 2023 and Baroness Kate Lampard was appointed as the Chair of the Inquiry.
The Inquiry will examine:
deaths of mental health inpatients within healthcare settings in Essex between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2023;
those who died as inpatients receiving NHS funded care within the independent sector, as well as those in NHS units; and
inpatient deaths, including those who died within three months of discharge from a mental health inpatient unit.
The Inquiry will look at the delivery of treatment and care, the culture and governance of NHS providers, and their interaction with other public bodies including commissioners, coroners, professional regulators and the Care Quality Commission. Other areas which will also be considered in relation to mental health inpatient deaths include the independent sector; serious harm short of death events; and neurodiversity and learning disabilities.
The Inquiry’s work will now be a matter for the Chair, Baroness Lampard. The Department will continue to support the Inquiry with the resources it needs to undertake its investigations.
Baroness Lampard has indicated that she does not currently intend to appoint a panel to support her in this work and I concur with this view. If necessary, the Chair may appoint any assessor(s) to assist her if she considers that person has relevant expertise that would assist the Inquiry.
The Terms of Reference will enable the Inquiry to start its work in earnest and provide the answers that affected families have been seeking for so long. I am pleased that the Inquiry now has a firm basis on which to proceed, and we will ensure lessons are learned and patient safety is improved. Baroness Lampard and her team will undertake the Inquiry thoroughly and as swiftly as possible.
I am today updating Parliament that the Terms of Reference for the Lampard Inquiry have been finalised and were published on 10 April on gov.uk: Lampard Inquiry: terms of reference - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy of a letter to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and the Terms of Reference were also deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. Due to Parliamentary recess, this Statement is being made in Parliament today.My deepest sympathies continue to go to all the families...
I am today updating Parliament that the Terms of Reference for the Lampard Inquiry have been finalised and were published on 10 April on gov.uk: Lampard Inquiry: terms of reference - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy of a letter to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and the Terms of Reference were also deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. Due to Parliamentary recess, this Statement is being made in Parliament today.
My deepest sympathies continue to go to all the families who have been affected by the tragic deaths of mental health patients across NHS Trusts in Essex. Patients should feel confident, safe, and supported - especially when receiving help for their mental health, which can be a time of great vulnerability. This was not the case for many mental health inpatients in Essex between 2000 and 2023, where many patients ended up tragically and needlessly dying - leaving their bereaved families with questions that need answering. I wish to thank those families who met me while I considered the Terms of Reference.
The former non-statutory Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry was converted to a statutory inquiry on 27 October 2023 and Baroness Kate Lampard was appointed as the Chair of the Inquiry.
The Inquiry will examine:
deaths of mental health inpatients within healthcare settings in Essex between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2023;
those who died as inpatients receiving NHS funded care within the independent sector, as well as those in NHS units; and
inpatient deaths, including those who died within three months of discharge from a mental health inpatient unit.
The Inquiry will look at the delivery of treatment and care, the culture and governance of NHS providers, and their interaction with other public bodies including commissioners, coroners, professional regulators and the Care Quality Commission. Other areas which will also be considered in relation to mental health inpatient deaths include the independent sector; serious harm short of death events; and neurodiversity and learning disabilities.
The Inquiry’s work will now be a matter for the Chair, Baroness Lampard. The Department will continue to support the Inquiry with the resources it needs to undertake its investigations.
Baroness Lampard has indicated that she does not currently intend to appoint a panel to support her in this work and I concur with this view. If necessary, the Chair may appoint any assessor(s) to assist her if she considers that person has relevant expertise that would assist the Inquiry.
The Terms of Reference will enable the Inquiry to start its work in earnest and provide the answers that affected families have been seeking for so long. I am pleased that the Inquiry now has a firm basis on which to proceed, and we will ensure lessons are learned and patient safety is improved. Baroness Lampard and her team will undertake the Inquiry thoroughly and as swiftly as possible.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress has been made on the Lampard Inquiry into mental health services in Essex.
Baroness Lampard, the Chair of the Inquiry, undertook a consultation on proposed amendments to the terms of reference for the inquiry in November 2023. Through this consultation, families and other stakeholders had the opportunity to outline their views on the proposed terms of reference. The Chair has submitted her proposed terms of reference for the statutory inquiry, and my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will make a decision in due course.
On 5 December 2023, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care agreed to meet with families and local MPs in Essex, to discuss the terms of reference. A meeting will be arranged in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for the legal teams of the families involved in the Essex mental health independent inquiry.
The Department announced on 28 June 2023 that the Essex Mental Health Inquiry was converted to a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. This is now known as the Lampard Inquiry.
This is an independent inquiry and the decision to make payment of any legal fees for work on the statutory inquiry is a matter for the Chair, Baroness Kate Lampard. As such, the Department does not get involved with the decision to award fees for legal work on this inquiry. The Department has no legal basis for payment of any legal fees incurred for any work before the conversion of the inquiry to a statutory footing.
The Chair of the inquiry launched a public consultation on the terms of reference for the inquiry in November 2023, whereby families and other stakeholders had the opportunity to represent their views on the proposed terms of reference. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, would welcome a meeting with the families to discuss the terms of reference. The meeting will be arranged in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to meet families involved in the Essex mental health independent inquiry to discuss the terms of reference for that inquiry.
The Department announced on 28 June 2023 that the Essex Mental Health Inquiry was converted to a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. This is now known as the Lampard Inquiry.
This is an independent inquiry and the decision to make payment of any legal fees for work on the statutory inquiry is a matter for the Chair, Baroness Kate Lampard. As such, the Department does not get involved with the decision to award fees for legal work on this inquiry. The Department has no legal basis for payment of any legal fees incurred for any work before the conversion of the inquiry to a statutory footing.
The Chair of the inquiry launched a public consultation on the terms of reference for the inquiry in November 2023, whereby families and other stakeholders had the opportunity to represent their views on the proposed terms of reference. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, would welcome a meeting with the families to discuss the terms of reference. The meeting will be arranged in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she last met with the families involved with the Essex Mental Health Statutory Public Inquiry.
The Department announced on 28 June 2023 that the Essex Mental Health Inquiry was converted to a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. This is now known as the Lampard Inquiry.
This is an independent inquiry and the decision to make payment of any legal fees for work on the statutory inquiry is a matter for the Chair, Baroness Kate Lampard. As such, the Department does not get involved with the decision to award fees for legal work on this inquiry. The Department has no legal basis for payment of any legal fees incurred for any work before the conversion of the inquiry to a statutory footing.
The Chair of the inquiry launched a public consultation on the terms of reference for the inquiry in November 2023, whereby families and other stakeholders had the opportunity to represent their views on the proposed terms of reference. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, would welcome a meeting with the families to discuss the terms of reference. The meeting will be arranged in due course.