Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether the terms of reference for the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry into the deaths of mental health inpatients in Essex between 2000 and 2020 can be met with the inquiry’s status as a non-statutory inquiry.

This is an independent inquiry, which is ongoing. No assessment has been made of the level of evidence provided by current or former staff. The Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has assured the Department of the trust’s support for the inquiry and the trust CEO will provide confirmation to Ministers of additional steps to support greater staff participation in the Inquiry.

The Department is also working closely with the inquiry, the trust and NHS England to look at what more can be done to encourage staff to engage with the Inquiry. Ministers will continue to give careful consideration to the progress of the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry, and whether or not it should remain on a non-statutory footing.