THE chief executive of an autism charity has said it is only by ‘virtue of luck’ that people such as his son with autism were not one of the 2,000 people who died as patients while under the care of the NHS in Essex.

The Lampard Inquiry, which began in Chelmsford on September 9, is investigating the deaths of 2,000 people who were receiving mental health inpatient care in Essex between 2000 and 2023.

Tom Purser is the chief executive of the Autism Centre for Excellence (ACE) which funds and commissions research into improving the lives of autistic people.

The group and has an 800-strong panel of community advisors, the majority of which have autism, to advise on changes.

Execetive - Tom Purser is chief executive for the Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) at CambridgeExecetive - Tom Purser is chief executive for the Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) at Cambridge (Image: Submitted)

Tom attended the opening day of the Lampard Inquiry.

He said: “I could not think of a bigger moment for autism or autistic people than the first inquiry into mental health public services in this country.

“It is an important time to stand back and think what went wrong not just in Essex but for autistic people across the country when accessing much needed support for their mental health.”

Mr Purser said though autism is not a mental health issue itself, people with autism tend to have poor mental health, often due to their lack of support, and experience suicidality at a much higher rate than the general public.

Illness - Tom Purser said autism was not a mental illness himself but that statistically people with autism had worse mental health and more suicidality due to environmental factors Illness - Tom Purser said autism was not a mental illness himself but that statistically people with autism had worse mental health and more suicidality due to environmental factors (Image: Newsquest)

He added how some of the families in the Inquiry have contacted the charity, saying he thinks that the “double barrier” to support for autism – stigma as well as a lack of training – will come out at the Inquiry.

He said: “The government knows there is a problem, and it should not have to take for families, documentary makers, and others to make that fight.

“I am a parent of an autistic young man so it is a really sobering experience, and I know it is by virtue of luck and the grace of God really, that these young old men and women could have been any one of us."