A bereaved mother hopes research into mental health disorders will bring about change

A mother whose daughter took her own life months after being released from a mental health facility has said she hopes a public legal review will prevent others from being “criticized” by system.

The Lampard Inquiry, led by Baroness Kate Lampard CBE, will investigate the deaths of people receiving mental health care in Essex between 2000 and 2023.

The inquest, which examines the deaths of almost 2,000 mental health patients, will begin on Monday in Chelmsford.

This will include people who died within three months of being discharged, and those who died as patients receiving NHS-supported care in the private sector.

Martha Gaskell, whose daughter Marion Turner was found dead at 40 on January 18 2013, said she hoped the investigation would bring “accountability”.

An inquest into Ms Turner’s death concluded that she died by hanging, having committed suicide at her home while suffering from mental illness.

He was released from The Lakes mental health center in Colchester in October 2012.

Ms Gaskell said she had been “begging them to take her to hospital, they refused”.

After Ms Turner’s death, then Essex journalist Caroline Beasley-Murray said she was concerned there was a risk of future deaths if action was not taken.

He wrote in the report: “It was testified that the day before Ms Turner’s death, her solicitor, out of concern for her mental health, called the health trust’s office of mental health and left a message on the CPN of Mrs Turner the nurse).

“This message sat on a piece of paper, unread, in a pigeon hole until the next day.”

Ms Gaskell, speaking ahead of a public inquiry which will start on Monday, said: “What I would like to see, obviously I know it’s not going to bring my daughter back, but what I’d like to see is it is responsible for what the limitations were.

But also that anyone who has to go through the mental health system can’t be discouraged.

Asked if he hoped for positive changes, he said: “I hope that’s all I can say because I’ve been doing complaints and investigations for a long time, I have not received the result of the investigation, I have not been told.

Also from when my daughter Marion died, until I spoke to someone in Essex yesterday and someone has just died, suicide.

“Nothing seems to change.

“So I hope this makes a difference, that’s all you can hope for.”

Ms Gaskell, who now works as a consultant, says that mother-of-four Ms Turner comes from a military background.

He said he planned to testify at the public inquiry, which he said was “worrying”.

Mrs Gaskell, 68, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, said her daughter struggled with mental health “throughout”.

He said: “He was a very lovely, caring person.

A very good mother, she loved her children to death.

Ms Gaskell said: “I just hope and pray that we get the answers we need and that they change, because they are desperately needed.”

Paul Scott, Chief Executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), said: “We know how difficult this time will be for those who have lost loved ones and our thoughts are with them.

“We will continue to do everything we can to support Baroness Lampard and her team in providing the answers that patients, families and carers want.”

– Samaritans can be contacted on 116123 or email [email protected]