Parents were excluded from the study due to the lack of basic participant status

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

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.

The inquest is due to start in Chelmsford on Monday, with some parents planning to protest outside on their first day.

Lisa Bates, 57, whose daughter Tillie King died in 2020 at the age of 21, says it was “unfair” that she was denied the main role and will be protesting on Monday.

Special status provides participation rights, including being able to suggest questions through an advisor to ask questions.

It also allows for the presentation of evidence that the chairman deems appropriate for their participation, the opportunity to make opening and closing statements through legal representatives and to be provided with copies of investigative reports in advance. .

It is not necessary for a person to be designated as a primary participant in order to provide information or evidence at an inquiry or to be a witness during its proceedings.

Ms Bates said her daughter “missed an appointment because she was on the verge of madness” and “as a result, when she died she missed the three months they allowed”.

He said he found his daughter in his bedroom in Brentwood, Essex, on March 8, 2020 and the coroner concluded that her death was related to alcohol and drugs.

Ms. King first entered mental health services when she was 13, her mother said.

He said he found out through his lawyers that he was not given priority status to participate in the investigation.

“I don’t understand it, it’s not right,” said Ms. Bates, who works at the mortuary.

He added that “they don’t see what is happening in society”.

“Tillie was still an amazing person,” he said.

“That showed in his death because so many people came, he touched so many people… he was a cat lover, he loved animals and he wanted to volunteer in our area of the zoo,” he said.

“She was a very lovely girl, it’s a shame she was worried and they couldn’t find a reason or cause for it.”

Kobad Bankwala, 68, said he felt “completely left out and forgotten”, having been denied basic participation status, and will be protesting on Monday.

His son Darian Bankwala was 22 years old when he was hit by a train and killed near Wickford station in Essex on 27 December 2020 having struggled with his mental health for years.

He was released in July 2020 despite not being well, said Mr Bankwala.

She said she had known since her son was two years old that “something was wrong”, and had been “fighting” with the agencies for years.

Mr Bankwala said he wants to have a primary role in the investigation so that he can suggest questions to ask the witnesses, adding: “I don’t want this opportunity to be changed.”

“This is my question, this is our money, this is taxpayers’ money,” said Mr. Bankwala, who worked in the mobile phone business and is now retired.

She said her son was “a very simple person, very gentle as a teenager, very kind and very polite” but “he was very worried”.

“It was useless to us, it was useless to him,” he said.

Priya Singh, a partner at Hodge Jones and Allen who represents more than 120 victims and families, said: “For the families who have been denied access, they are also fighting tooth and nail to get this investigation done. They feel abandoned. they have been betrayed.

“Without their continuous campaign there would be no question, the question is important to save future lives and ensure that the care services have seen more than 2,000 unexplained deaths.

“In some cases, we see no legal reason why they are not given this basic level of participation.

“We encourage the researchers to reconsider their decision. Every death, act of violence and injury is important and should be part of this investigation so that the right proposals can be implemented to eliminate the shortcomings of the system.”