Intimidating email sent to all NSFT staff

NSFT Chair Gary Page on BBC Look East discussing Section 75 Contract loss

This email has been sent to all Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) employees on Tuesday 20th May by Gary Page, Chair and Andrew Hopkins, Acting Chief Executive:

Dear Colleagues,

You may well be aware that our Trust has recently been the subject of much media interest as a result of a UNISON-backed campaign, which is criticising how it is dealing with the freeze on NHS funding.

We are disappointed that members of staff have been going directly to the media, as we pride ourselves on our whistleblowing process.  Safety and the quality of our services are our priority – they are critical to the Trust, to our staff and of course to our patients. We also have a duty to protect public money, which is important because money that is wasted affects patient care.

We have an excellent record of staff reporting incidents and also in responding to ‘whistleblowing’. We are proud of the fact that we have the highest level of incident reporting in East of England and have frequently self-reported matters to the CQC, although indicators show we are as safe – or better – than other Trusts.  This was emphasised by the Royal College of Nursing’s Regional Director at the Trust’s Annual Nursing Conference last week.

For further information about our whistleblowing/public interest disclosure guidelines, please click here.

I would like to remind staff that those who decide to go to the media directly may not only be putting the safety of our service users and colleagues at risk, but may also be in breach of their professional code of conduct.

If you have any safeguarding concerns, you should speak to your line manager in the first instance. However, if the concerns are more serious, please contact:

  • Trust-wide Confidential Public Disclosure telephone line 01603 xxxxxx or email xxx@nhs.net with ‘whistleblowing’ in the subject line.
  • NHS helpline/whistleblowing available to both health and social care staff 08000 724 725
  • Care Quality Commission public disclosure/whistleblowing 03000 616 161

4 thoughts on “Intimidating email sent to all NSFT staff”

  1. We have been whistleblowing for over two years without response from management, from CCGs, from CQC, from Monitor, from Norman Lamb, Sorry, we have had words but no action while around us the service deteriorates, more and more patients with severe mental illness are neglected, becoming unwell, shipped off to other parts of the country, some committing suicide. It is not staff going to the media that places patients at risk but the lack of a decent service; I cant forgive the Trust for abolishing the Assertive Outreach Teams and the mental health service for homeless people. Why target the most vulnerable? Why not target the hierarchy of managers, the huge salaries of those at the top of the Trust? We counted today how many non-clinical managers we have over the Crisis Team; We have six or seven Band 8s and above. What do they contribute? They turn up en masse at our team meeting when Gary Page makes a rare appearance; otherwise we rarely see them. When the going gets tough, as it does most days now they are not in evidence. The worry is that committed staff are losing hope that anything can change; I would urge staff at NSFT to get active in the Campaign, unite with service-users and others who care deeply about mental health services, and, yes, keep blowing that whistle until someone finally listens.

  2. This overt bit of bullying is nothing to do with service-user confidence, it’s because Gary Page and his cohorts are terrified of their incompetence being put under the media spotlight!

  3. As trust employees, certain issues needs to be taken up internally in everyone’s interest with evidences. Everyone is doing their job including the managers.But it’s matter of time, when things change again. There are victims in any system. Keep the options wide open including Australia.

  4. Yes most of us have seen the email and yes class it as bullying. If the hierarchy had listened to staff in the first place and done something about the problems people would not have had to go to the CQC.
    Some of us sent an email to the chief executive Andrew Hopkins and the chair of the non executive board Gary Page back in October last year, surprise surprise to this day we have not even had an acknowledgement!!!!! They don’t care big salaries, a title seems to be all they are bothered about. If you hold positions like that you should be there through merit and be able to do the job you are employed to do. It’s not just pockets of the trust that are in trouble it’s the whole of the trust, Borne out by attending training courses where you meet people from every sector of the trust and everywhere has the same problems.
    Lack of good staff, no support, no leadership, if you try to raise concerns you are perceived to be a troublemaker. It really is about time people do the job they are paid to do or be held accountable.

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