The Lampard Inquiry into NHS mental health services in Essex reveals a troubling pattern among health trusts, particularly regarding their attempts to prevent coroners from issuing Prevention of Future Death reports. Deborah Coles from the charity Inquest criticized this behavior as a widespread issue that prioritizes reputation over accountability. She emphasized the trauma caused to families during inquests when trusts obstruct efforts to safeguard lives, and expressed frustrations over the lack of political will to address the culture of defensiveness among NHS trusts.
"It's difficult to say how traumatising that is for families when they sit in at an inquest and then see legal representatives try and effectively stop a coroner from making a Prevention of Future Deaths report, which is ultimately about trying to safeguard lives in the future - and I find that reprehensible."
"NHS trusts were more concerned about reputational damage than learning lessons. This goes to the heart of what I was talking about... the fact that trusts are more concerned with protecting their reputations than acknowledging the failings in their systems and processes and trying to do something meaningful about it."
"The lack of candour on the part of mental health trusts in Essex was the reason a statutory public inquiry needed to be held."
"We are talking here about trying to protect lives and also remember those who've died where those deaths were preventable."
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