NHS whistleblower warning to MPs over Lampard Inquiry

Robin Jamieson was invited to address an event at Parliament on Monday for people refused core participant status in the Lampard Inquiry, two weeks after appearing on the front page of the Echo.

Other speakers included bereaved families refused special status in the inquiry, which is investigating the high death rate among Essex mental health patients between 2000 and 2023.

Robin said their testimony left him even more convinced his own evidence was crucial.

“There were some very extreme, harrowing stories,” he said. “Stories about people who said they wanted to kill themselves, but hospitals said they didn’t need treatment – and then they went and did it. There were a few of those. It was horrible stuff to listen to.”

Robin, the former Southend district psychologist, told inquiry staff last year he’d kept files from a huge row in 1998 over what clinicians called “draconian” mental health cuts.

Almost all the psychologists at the Southend trust – which also ran Runwell Hospital in Wickford – quit their jobs over cuts to psychology, psychotherapy and art therapy services, warning of a potentially catastrophic impact on patients “into the next millennium”.

Robin was refused core participant status in the inquiry because he left his job before 2000 – but told the Echo last month it was inconceivable that failings in 2000 didn’t stem from earlier decisions.

As district psychologist, Robin ran Southend's NHS psychology services in the 1980s and 1990s. He told the Lampard Inquiry last year he kept evidence of a severe dispute over service cuts - but was refused core participant status (Image: Robin Jamieson) “The cuts in the late 1990s created a revolving door service, focused on crisis intervention, instead of offering ongoing therapy,” he said.

“Some of the people who could end up getting the blame in this inquiry will be those who were campaigning against these cuts at the time – because within the sort of service the NHS managers created, there was no way to make the right decision.

“There is a danger Lampard will focus myopically on things like how many hanging points there were in rooms where patients were held. That is important, but it’s the end stage of a failing system.

“The bigger question is, why did the patients end up there in the first place? Why wasn’t there earlier intervention and therapy? Was there somebody they could have talked to? Was there anything they could have been offered earlier to make them feel better?”

Robin said the bereaved families in attendance “seemed supportive” of his points.

“They said they wanted this to be heard and wanted me to be alongside them as a core participant, because they wanted this story to come out,” he said.

The inquiry has previously said it will not publicly comment on core participant applications, but it is possible to "meaningfully engage" without the special status.

The event, at Portcullis House, was organised by Southend East and Rochford Labour MP Bayo Alaba.

“It was very moving to hear from the families,” he said. “I will continue to work with constituents of Southend East and Rochford to ensure that they are supported throughout the inquiry.”

Southend West and Leigh MP David Burton-Sampson also attended, as did Conservative Brentwood and Ongar MP Alex Burghart.

Part of an open letter Robin Jamieson wrote in 1998, warning that cuts to psychology services - imposed against medical advice - would have a negative impact on patient outcomes (Image: Charles Thomson) Southend mum Julia Caro Hopper, whose teenage son Chris Nota died after repeated interactions with mental health services, was one of the campaigners who helped secure the Lampard Inquiry.

Although she is a core participant, she attended the event in solidarity with those who have been excluded.

She said the speakers gave “powerful” testimony – but expressed disappointment at the low turnout from Essex MPs.

“I can’t think of any issue more pressing for Essex but less owned by MPs,” she lamented.

“Bayo, David Burton-Sampson and Alex Burghart came along, and a couple of other MPs sent assistants. This was positive and they have engaged.

"While other MPs have engaged somewhat in the past, this situation is so huge and so urgent that we now need all of our Essex MPs to be fully engaged in supporting the families and ensuring that we end up with an inquiry that works.

“I can’t think of one other issue for Essex so desperately needing commitment from MPs.”