Daughter lost in mental health system, says mum

The mother of a 26-year-old who took her own life following years of mental health treatment has told a public inquiry her daughter was "lost to the system".

Lisa Wolff gave evidence about her daughter Abbigail Smith at the Lampard Inquiry, which is looking into the deaths of more than 2,000 people under Essex NHS mental health services over a 24-year period.

She said her daughter's autism was not taken seriously by staff and she was treated "through a very narrow lens - it was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole".

The Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) has apologised to Abbigail's family for the failures in her care.

An inquest into Abbigail's death found the failure to recognise her autism had a "profound impact" on her care, which amounted to neglect.

At the Lampard Inquiry on Tuesday, her mother said Abbigail was moved multiple times between mental health units, despite going in for what was initially believed to be a two-week stay.

Lisa said that although Abbigail's autism had been formally diagnosed twice, it was continually dismissed by healthcare professionals, with Lisa accused several times of making it up.

"I was ignored, castigated, pushed aside, to the detriment of my own mental health," she told Baroness Lampard.

Abbigail moved more than 10 times between units between the ages of 17 and 26, before her final stay at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford.

A letter written by Abbigail at 17 years old, about her time on Larkwood Ward at the St Aubyn Centre in Colchester, was read out to the inquiry.

The inquiry was also played several videos filmed by Abbigail in the last few days of her stay, where she repeatedly talked about wanting to end her life and was critical of staff on the ward.

She took her own life in February 2022, 36 hours after being discharged.

The inquiry heard there was "no plan to mitigate the real and immediate risk", something which was described as "a gross failure".

Becoming emotional, Lisa told the inquiry: "[Abbigail] was lost to the system - I won't forgive myself for that. She deserved better."

Speaking to the BBC after giving evidence, Lisa said she was pleased she could play videos of her daughter in the inquiry, saying she "needed to have a place in the room".

"I can only hope that learning is taken forward from this because we can't allow another Abbi Smith situation to happen - this is so outrageously unjust that nobody else should ever have to be subject to what Abbi went through."

Trevor Smith, chief executive at EPUT, said: "My thoughts are with Abbigail's family, friends and loved ones and I want to say how sorry I am for their loss and for the failings in her care."

He continued: "All of us across healthcare have a responsibility to work together to improve care and treatment for all – recognising the complex links between mental and physical health - and to build on the improvements that have already been made over the last 24 years."

Earlier on Tuesday, the inquiry heard from the acting chairman of EPUT's board of directors, Loy Lobo.

He said the board was "confident" that the trust would maintain its engagement with the inquiry under the joint interim leadership of Smith and Alex Green.

The pair would remain in post "for at least a year", Lobo explained, before the board determined who should be in charge of EPUT going forward.

Paul Scott stepped down as chief executive in June, and speaking at the inquiry on Monday, he said improvements had been made at the organisation.

Ending his evidence, Lobo told the inquiry: "On behalf of the board, we remain absolutely committed to supporting the aims of the inquiry, and you should be assured that that will continue."

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