Sussex mental health trust CEO asked to meet with bereaved families
A letter's been sent after concerns changes weren't being made by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust after inquests "spanning a decade"
The Chief Executive of Sussex's mental health services has been asked to meet with families that have lost loved ones in their care.
A letter's been sent after concerns changes weren't being made by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, after what it details as "similar underlying issues" highlighted in inquests "spanning a decade."
It was penned by Horsham MP John Milne after being approached by a constituent Louise Hodgson, whose 19-year-old daughter-in-law Morgan took her own life while in the Trust's care.
"We're looking for ...whether there's a systemic failure."
"Nothing can bring loved ones back, but for their peace of mind and to be able to move on in life, they need to understand what happened," Milne told Greatest Hits Radio.
"What we're looking for is whether there's a systemic failure.
"That's what I'm particularly interested in and supporting the parents in their attempt to find that out.
The letter says families feel there has been "limited engagement" after the deaths of their loved ones, "poor communication, inadequate explanation of procedures" and a "lack of meaningful contact following coroner's inquests."
"I was also struck by the concern that similar issues appear to have been identified in multiple inquests involving different families over a period of approximately eleven years...
"The families question whether recurring themes identified through those proceedings are being sufficiently escalated to the Trust's executive leadership and Board, and whether opportunities for organisational learning are being fully realised."
Families "made to feel the fault lies with us"
Speaking previously, Louise Hodgson said:
"We really are being made to feel the fault lies with us, that we're just angry, bereaved parents who were troublesome in the first place when our loved ones were alive and we're still troublesome.
"We actually really want positive change. We've got a lot to say."
A spokesperson from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: "Working with carers and families matters to us.
"This includes listening to people and making them feel heard. There are times we do this well, but there is more we need to do.
"We are making progress.
"We have been awarded two out of three stars by the Carers Trust for our work on the Triangle of Care.
"This is about making sure professionals, families and carers work together as equal partners in someone’s mental health care.
"We are also introducing Open Dialogue, an approach that brings together the person in crisis, their family and the clinical team to make decisions collaboratively.
"We are committed to building further on these positive developments."