EDP: Mental-health patients left in cells and secure unit, people deprived of their liberty, NSFT finances are appalling

This is absolutely shocking: A Norwich man with mental-health problems was kept in a police cell for more than 24 hours and then sent to a private hospital 175 miles away for two weeks because there were not any beds for him in East Anglia. This is appalling: A 25-year-old man is being kept in […]

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It is a crisis: What MIND really thinks about mental health under Health Minister Norman Lamb and the CCGs created by his government

Mind has written privately to all prospective Members of Parliament. Rather than the usual sycophantic nonsense for public consumption, Mind has told the brutal truth to prospective MPs: that the consequences of the Health & Social Care Act 2012, the introduction of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and the tenure of Secretary of State at the

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Meltdown: Working as a community nurse at NSFT

“I work as a Community Mental Health Nurse for Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) and each week at work becomes more unbearable for so many reasons. Caseloads are unmanageably high with constant pressure from managers to take more cases that are being referred in on a daily basis. There is pressure to take

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10-bed Assessment Unit fiasco: Can it get worse?

Several supporters have been in touch. They tell us that while Nic Rigby’s report of the rejection of the opening of the 10-bed Assessment Unit is accurate, it is quite conservative in the conclusions it draws. We have also been sent by several sources the relevant sections of the Investment Committee (IC) report submitted by

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Video: BBC Look East – Number of people in beds beyond Norfolk & Suffolk rises to 50!

When we started our campaign one year ago, we never thought the beds and community crises would become worse. But they have! We’ve won some victories but imagine how much worse things would be without our campaign! Join us at our Anniversary Open Meeting on Thursday 27th November to fight for decent mental health services. As

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Invitation to our Anniversary Open Meeting on Thursday 27th November, 7.30-9.30 p.m. Vauxhall Centre, Norwich NR2 2SA

INVITATION TO OUR ANNIVERSARY OPEN MEETING ON THURSDAY 27TH NOVEMBER, 7.30-9.30 PM VAUXHALL CENTRE, NORWICH NR2 2SA Dear all, Our Campaign started a year ago this month when mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk first reached crisis point. The ‘Nicholson Challenge’ imposed £20 billion cost savings on all NHS Trusts. As a result, Norfolk &

Invitation to our Anniversary Open Meeting on Thursday 27th November, 7.30-9.30 p.m. Vauxhall Centre, Norwich NR2 2SA Read More »

Ipswich Star: Students from University Campus Suffolk celebrate their successes at their graduation ceremonies

“Maggie Wheeler was also awarded an honorary degree for her work in mental health. She was chairman of what became Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust for a decade.” Many campaign supporters have contacted us to express their utter bewilderment at the decision of University Campus Suffolk to award Maggie Wheeler an honorary degree for

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CQC 2014 Community Mental Health Survey: Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is worst

Table two highlights trusts that scored ‘worse than expected’ for five or more questions across the questionnaire as a whole. Two trusts (Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) were ‘worse than expected’ on 9 or more questions. In both cases the questions identified represent a spread across the various

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The Guardian: Inmate suicide figures expose human toll of prison crisis

This important story details the human cost of the failure to provide proper care in the prison system for those with mental health issues and is a must-read in its own right. However, as a campaign, we have been hearing from Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) staff about ill people being locked in

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BBC News: Mental health ‘starved of resources’, says former coroner

Well said, William Armstrong, Chairman of Healthwatch, former Norfolk Coroner and current Sheriff of Norwich: Mental health services are being “starved of resources”, the chairman of a health watchdog in Norfolk has said. Ex-coroner William Armstrong, of Healthwatch Norfolk, said cuts meant “more misery” for patients and their families. He said he had seen a

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Campaign response to HealthEast decision to close beds at Carlton Court

Here is our response to Andy Evans, Chief Executive of Great Yarmouth & Waveney CCG (HealthEast), following the disastrous decision to close beds at Carlton Court: Mr Andy Evans Great Yarmouth & Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group Beccles House 1 Common Lane North Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9BN 1 October 2014 Dear Mr. Evans, Following your disastrous

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Audio: We could all be ‘John’. Health worker tells BBC Radio Norfolk about the impact of the Trust Service Strategy (TSS) on his own health

We could all be ‘John’.  Listen to health professional ‘John’ telling BBC journalist Louise Priest about the impact of the Trust Service Strategy (TSS) on his own mental and physical health.  

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Healthwatch Norfolk: Is it any use?

We have resisted criticising Healthwatch Norfolk, in large part out of respect for its Chairman, who was an outstanding Norfolk Coroner who never hesitated to hold Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) to public account. But, enough is enough. Today, Healthwatch Norfolk had a stall at the Forum in Norwich, with expensively-branded pencils, rubbers,

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In the cells: Breach of human rights so common that Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies have a standard complaint letter

It is happening again this weekend. No beds. No accountability. No responsibility. Norman Lamb claims to be a champion of the mentally ill with his self-promotional but resourceless gimmicks such as sponsored bike rides, the Cashless Concordat and ‘parity of esteem‘. The truth is that mental health services have been cut in real terms while

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25th September 2014: Cardboard City Protest at HealthEast CCG meeting deciding the fate of Carlton Court

Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (HealthEast) is making its decision about Carlton Court on Thursday 25th September, 2014. The meeting starts at 1.30 p.m. but we’ll be holding a demonstration beforehand from 1 p.m – the theme is lack of beds, so bring along a big cardboard box and a sleeping bag for

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What’s happening at Carlton Court? How different is it to what NSFT proposed and the public opposed?

Great Yarmouth & Waveney CCG (HealthEast) has set out recommendations this week for the future of mental health services after its public consultation. We are grateful to HealthEast for being the only one of Norfolk’s five clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to hold a public consultation. Let’s look at the facts: Acute adult services at Carlton

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Community Care: Why I’m retiring from social work to fight the cuts damaging our service’

Click the image below to read Terry Skyrme’s letter in Community Care, explaining why he has decided to retire from the mental health frontline to fight the damaging cuts to services.

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BBC News: Assessment suite closures concern for mental health in Norfolk and Suffolk

Nic Rigby of the BBC reports: Concerns over plans to centralise Norfolk mental health assessment suites in Norwich have been raised by a police commissioner and a union. Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the suites, has started consulting staff on the proposal, the BBC understands. People are brought to the suites, often

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