Early Lampard findings could come within weeks

The chair of a public inquiry into mental health deaths said she would make interim recommendations if she identified issues that "might pose an urgent risk to patient safety".

Baroness Kate Lampard is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 people who died while under the care of Essex mental health services between 2000 and the end of 2023.

The Lampard Inquiry will hear further evidence during hearings beginning on 5 October before deciding whether recommendations were needed ahead of a final report, Baroness Lampard said.

Any recommendations were expected to focus on inpatient safety, including resuscitation procedures and monitoring technology used to detect patients in distress.

"Those two matters are not specific to Essex and therefore the evidence the inquiry hears will be of relevance to service providers across the entire country," Baroness Lampard said.

"It may carry implications for the care and treatment provided on all mental health units."

One system under examination as part of the inquiry is Oxevision, which can take footage, record breathing and pulse rates and is used by a number of NHS mental health trusts in England.

Concerns have been raised about privacy, dignity and whether the technology could be used as a substitute for face-to-face care.

Tammy Smith, whose daughter Sophie Alderman died in 2022, previously told the inquiry: "It actually takes away human interaction. They are at their most vulnerable.

"They need those conversations. They need someone to ask, 'Are you OK? Do you need anything?' We all need that."

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Source: BBC News, 5 October 2026