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Mother's Fight for Answers After Son and Partner Die
30 Oct
Summary
- Man died after falling from height following missed capacity assessments.
- Partner's son also died previously under mental health services.
- Inquiry now examines over 2,000 deaths in Essex mental health care.
A grieving mother continues her fight for accountability following the deaths of her partner and son under NHS mental health services in Essex. Colin Flatt, 81, died in September 2026 after falling from a hospital height. An inquest concluded that there were missed opportunities to assess his mental capacity before the incident at Basildon Hospital.
Mr. Flatt's partner, Melanie Leahy, stated that her family has been 'wiped out' by these events. Her son, Matthew Leahy, tragically died in 2012 while a patient at the Linden Centre, a mental health unit. A health ombudsman later found numerous failures in his care.
The ongoing Lampard Inquiry, England's first statutory public inquiry into mental health services, is now examining the deaths of over 2,000 individuals who died under Essex NHS mental health care between 2000 and the end of 2023. Ms. Leahy sees this inquiry as her final chance for answers and to prevent similar tragedies.
During the inquest into Mr. Flatt's death, it was revealed he was admitted to Broomfield Hospital in May 2026 with memory loss and diagnosed with Alzheimer's. After transfer to Goodmayes Hospital, he was detained under the Mental Health Act. The jury found a missed opportunity when a tribunal approved his discharge in June 2026, and later failures upon his admission to Basildon Hospital.
