This page sets out information regarding the appointment of Independent Assessors to support the Chair of the Lampard Inquiry.
Should you have any questions on the below, please email contact@lampardinquiry.org.uk.
Purpose of Independent Assessors
The role of an Independent Assessor is to provide advice and subject area knowledge to the Chair of an Inquiry. Assessors are experts in their own field who provide expert knowledge, often on a recurring basis and as part of the Inquiry team, to help the Chair meet the Terms of Reference.
The purpose of such assessors within the Lampard Inquiry will include (but not be limited to):
- Supporting the Chair from a clinical perspective in her work, for example providing advice and information on particular clinical topics within their expertise.
- Undertaking relevant investigative work with the Inquiry team and informing decision making where appropriate. This may include providing a clinical expert view on whether care within any cases being investigated was safe and appropriate, and how care could have been improved.
- Providing advice and support regarding recommendations for the Chair’s final report.
At the discretion of the Chair, where expert opinion is central to a key issue to be determined or recommendation to be made, she may ask the advice of the Assessor to be shared with Core Participants.
Appointment of the Independent Assessors
Following a rigorous application process, the Chair has appointed three individuals to act as Independent Assessors for the Inquiry. These are all highly skilled individuals with knowledge and experience within their respective areas of mental health who will inform the Inquiry and the Chair on important aspects of its work. All assessors have significant frontline experience of working with mental health patients.
The Independent Assessors are:
Dr Nicola Goater
Dr Goater has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist for over 20 years in areas including crisis, inpatient, intensive care, assessment and community teams. She has significant experience in Crisis Teams, establishing a team in 2003, and working on key research in the area.
She is currently the Responsible Officer for West London NHS Trust and works clinically in Early Intervention in Psychosis, as well as acute psychiatry. Dr Goater has worked as a Locality Clinical Lead, Clinical and Educational Supervisor, and Clinical Director. From 2019-2024 she was the Trust’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Caldicott Guardian as well as Chair of the Trust’s Mortality Review and Medicines Optimisation Groups. She acted as Chief Medical Officer for the Trust in 2020/21.
She wishes to use her knowledge and experience from Crisis and other clinical settings, at interfaces, in teams, organisational roles, and systems in order to contribute to this important process, and to learning.
Mick O’Driscoll
Mick is a retired Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) with 30 years’ experience of working in both junior and senior clinical roles within NHS acute adult mental health services. His various job roles as a staff nurse, matron, clinical nurse specialist, Associate Director of Nursing and Clinical Director, kept him close to the clinical area he most enjoyed – acute inpatient wards. He also developed and led the training of many nursing, medical and occupational therapy staff in his area of specialist interest – understanding suicidal behaviour and risk. In 2014 he was awarded an MBE for services to mental health nursing.
Mick considers there to be many contributing factors to the tragedy of suicides in mental health services. The scale and commitment of the Lampard Inquiry gives him hope for a greater understanding of how we make our services safer.
Dr Elizabeth Walker
Dr Walker qualified as a doctor at St George’s Hospital Medical School in 1995 and has worked as a psychiatrist since 1997. She has been a General Adult Consultant Psychiatrist, working in the North West of England, for the last 15 years. Her area of expertise is in continuity of care, having been responsible for the care of her patients through both community and hospital settings. She also plays an active role in medical education (e.g. training students and junior and senior doctors) and management.
Dr Walker is excited about having a role in this inquiry, in order to help improve mental health care for current and future patients and their families.
The Chair may wish to appoint additional assessors over the course of the Inquiry as she sees relevant.
The Inquiry has also published a protocol on the role and appointment of independent assessors which sets out further information about their role and can be found here.
