ESSEX mental health services have been criticised for a severe lack of leadership and an environment that is 'absolute chaos'.

At the long-running Lampard Inquiry this week, Dawn Low described her experience working undercover in a investigation broadcast on Channel 4's Dispatches to the Lampard Inquiry.

The Lampard Inquiry, which began in 2024, is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 patients who received care from mental health services in Essex between 2000 and the end of 2023.

Among her criticisms during her 13 shifts in 2022 were examples of staff falling asleep on shifts and a lack of communication.

In statement given to the inquiry she said: "During my time with EPUT I would say it was one of the most difficult jobs I have ever done. There is no consistency across the wards, a severe lack of leadership and support for the staff members and an environment that is absolute chaos. I would say that for things to improve significantly there needs to be an overhaul of the way wards are run."

She told the inquiry that at times the safety of patients was not well managed and during her 13 shifts there were several ligature attempts. She said that she had a sense that the staff's communication style at times was "combative and unhelpful".

She added: "Generally my experience of this was there would be patients that would sometimes become difficult to manage and I witnessed on several occasions the style of communication used by some of the staff members to be very dismissive, unhelpful and lacking empathy and at times I would go as far as to say quite aggressive and confrontational.

"I did get the sense, quite often on probably all of the wards that the patients were treated more like children than adults who just needed a bit of understanding and a little bit of empathy and a little bit of care."

At a hearing in 2024 the chairwoman of the inquiry, Baroness Kate Lampard said: "we may never know" the true number of people who died. She warned it is expected to be "significantly in excess" of the 2,000 deaths previously reported.

Trevor Smith, CEO of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), said: "I want to apologise to everyone affected by the Dispatches programme, the accounts of care and treatment are completely unacceptable and distressing to those involved and our thoughts are with the patients, their families and loved ones.

"Since the programme was filmed and broadcast in 2022 all aspects of mental health care on our wards have changed with a focus on involving patients, families and carers as well as improvements to the ward environment to make them safer and more comfortable.

"We're really clear that there's more to do to ensure that the care we provide continues to improve and the recommendations of the Lampard Inquiry will be an important part of this."