Leaked communications have exposed a former UK health minister's attempts to impede a comprehensive public investigation into suspicious deaths at mental health institutions. The revelations come as the long-awaited Lampard inquiry, now granted statutory powers, is set to commence next week.
Nadine Dorries, who served as a Conservative health minister under Boris Johnson's administration, reportedly sent messages to then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock detailing her strategy to "pick off" families advocating for a full public inquiry. The WhatsApp exchanges, part of the Lockdown Files obtained by The Telegraph, reveal Dorries' intent to "isolate" a particularly vocal mother by persuading other families to side with the government's position.
"I'm picking off the other families and speaking to them one by one to get them onside to isolate her. But it's incredibly sensitive and difficult as all of these young boys died in very suspicious circumstances."
The mother in question, Melanie Leahy, has been campaigning for answers since her son Matthew died at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford, Essex, in November 2012. Matthew, who was 20 years old and diagnosed with a delusional disorder, was found unresponsive in his room just eight days after admission.
A 2019 investigation by the health ombudsman uncovered 19 significant failings in Matthew's care at the Essex Partnership University NHS Trust-run facility. Disturbingly, traces of GHB, a known date-rape drug, were found in Matthew's blood, along with unexplained needle marks.
Despite initially resisting calls for a statutory inquiry, the government eventually acquiesced. In 2023, Steve Barclay, who succeeded Hancock and Dorries in the health department, announced that the inquiry would be placed on a statutory footing. This decision came after families threatened legal action through a judicial review.
The Lampard inquiry, named after its chair Baroness Kate Lampard, will investigate deaths of mental health inpatients in Essex between 2000 and 2023. With its statutory powers, the inquiry can compel witnesses to testify under oath and demand the production of relevant documents.
In response to the leaked messages, Dorries defended her actions, citing the challenges of working in the "highly politicized" mental health sector, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Matt Hancock's spokesperson stated that he had delegated mental health matters to the appropriate minister while focusing on pandemic response and vaccine preparation.
As the Lampard inquiry prepares to begin, the revelations have reignited discussions about transparency and accountability in the UK's mental health care system. The coming weeks are likely to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding these tragic deaths and the subsequent handling of families' concerns by government officials.