Lampard inquiry weighs halting Oxevision after safety claim admission

The Lampard inquiry into mental health deaths in Essex is considering whether to stop the use of Oxevision, a controversial AI-powered camera system used to monitor patients in NHS mental health hospitals.

Baroness Lampard has said she could make an early intervention if she finds the surveillance system poses a risk to patient safety. The inquiry is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 people under the care of Essex mental health services between 2000 and 2023. Its full findings were originally due in 2028, but the inquiry is now looking at early recommendations.

Oxevision uses infrared sensors and AI in patients' bedrooms to monitor breathing and pulse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without staff entering the room. The technology is used in half of NHS mental health trusts in England. Baroness Lampard has warned that what happens in Essex does not stay in Essex, and any decision could have national implications.

Concerns about privacy, consent, dignity and human rights have been raised by bereaved families, former patients and campaigners. A group called Stop Oxevision has been working for a couple of years and includes people who have used mental health services, some of whom had the camera system used on them. They want it removed. A lawyer for bereaved families said the system relies on a monitor in the nurses' room instead of staff going into a patient's room to check on them. Critics argue the technology can replace patient-facing care and may be used without consent or even knowledge.

The company behind Oxevision has insisted the system helps protect vulnerable patients and has played a role in preventing serious attacks. It has also said patients need to be made aware of the technology and told about it. But at a public inquiry, the company admitted it may not be as safe as it had claimed. Laura Cousin, Oxehealth's head of patient safety, said the company fully supports an explicit consent model and that patients' views and choices should be respected. Asked about one patient's experience, she said Oxevision was never designed to replace nurses or meaningful patient engagement, and that technology cannot replace a conversation, a clinical assessment or a therapeutic relationship. She also said the company does not tell organisations how to use the technology.

One patient, Loretta, not her real name, asked for anonymity because she still works in the NHS. She had raised concerns about Oxevision as a staff member and later became a patient. She said she had been extremely clear with the ward that she did not want it. After a different doctor turned it back on, she slept in her bathroom until it was switched off. She described being rained on by the shower, which was used every couple of hours to clear the lines.

The inquiry is also expected to consider cases such as that of 16-year-old Elise Sebastian, who died in 2021. Oxevision was mentioned in her inquest, which also found that staff did not adequately check on her. Her mother said she was aware of the monitoring system and initially thought it could be good, because her daughter was ill and could be checked on. But she said Elise would never have agreed to it. Essex Partnership University Trust apologised for failings in Elise's care and said an independent review is underway. The Department of Health and Social Care said the government is committed to ensuring lessons are learned from the Lampard inquiry to improve patient safety.

Baroness Lampard must now decide whether AI-powered monitoring is a help or a hindrance for mental health care. The outcome of the early considerations is expected in a couple of weeks, and any ruling could have consequences across England.