Why did 2,000 Essex mental health patients die?

Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

The opening weeks of the Lampard Inquiry into 2,000 mental health patient deaths in Essex have been devoted to so-called "impact statements" made by relatives of those who've died. The inquiry is expected to run until 2026. We hear from the BBC's East of England health correspondent Nikki Fox, who's been at the hearings on what it's like listening to such harrowing testimony. She also explains the background to the inquiry and what it's designed to achieve. Julia Hopper, the mother of Chris Nota, whose death aged 19 is being examined as part of the proceedings, tells Access All how she felt when she made her impact statement. We also hear from competitors taking part in next month's Cybathlon. The event pits developers and users of assistive tech against rival teams, and they use their devices to compete in contests and races. The University of Bath team share their hopes of triumph for the technology they've developed to read the brainwaves of a man whose lower body is paralysed, so he can move external objects.

Presenter Emma Tracey Producer Daniel Gordon Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill Editors: Beth Rose and Damon Rose If you have been affected by any of the topics discussed in this episode you can visit BBC Actionline for more support. The Access All team love hearing from you. You can email [e-mail] or find @bbcaccessall on X and Instagram.