In October, the Inquiry will hold an Interim Recommendations Hearing to examine further evidence in relation to the two themes on which the Chair heard evidence in July 2026. These are Observations and the Use of Technology and Resuscitation. A summary of the evidence heard in July in respect of these issues was contained in Counsel to the Inquiry’s Closing Statement of 23 July 2026, which can be found on the Inquiry’s website here.
The October 2026 Hearing will provide an important opportunity for the Chair to receive additional evidence on these two issues, both in the context of the provision of mental health care in Essex, and also nationwide, where appropriate.
The hearing will take place at the Civic Centre in Chelmsford and will start on 5 October 2026. The Inquiry will issue an information pack about the October 2026 Hearing, together with a witness list and timetable in September 2026.
The refocus of the October 2026 Hearing to address these two areas of critical importance, will mean that changes will be required to the Inquiry’s future hearing timetable. These will be communicated as soon as they have been finalised by the Inquiry.
DHSC and NHSE
The Chair has considered a request from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) seeking permission to liaise with NHS England (NHSE) in preparation for the October 2026 Hearing.
Having considered the request, the Chair has confirmed she has no objection to such liaison for the limited purpose of considering the evidence heard by the Inquiry concerning resuscitation and vision-based monitoring systems, together with any interim recommendations that may arise from the October 2026 Hearing.
In reaching that decision, the Chair has had regard to the subject matter of the October 2026 Hearing and the respective roles of DHSC and NHSE in relation to the matters under consideration. The Chair is satisfied that such liaison may assist effective consideration of any interim recommendations, provided appropriate safeguards remain in place.
Accordingly, DHSC and NHSE remain separate Core Participants and continue to be individually responsible for complying with their respective obligations to the Inquiry, including disclosure, Rule 9 responses and witness evidence. The Inquiry also reserves the right to seek separate evidence, submissions or attendance from either organisation where appropriate, including where their respective positions diverge.
This decision is confined to the particular circumstances of the October 2026 Hearing and should not be taken as conferring any procedural advantage or establishing a precedent for future hearings or other Core Participants.
