When the Chief Executive of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) appeared before the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) of Norfolk County Council, he barely deployed a number, percentage or fact. Instead, Michael Scott gave a very long list of excuses, including:
“I’m not going to get into a numbers game”
“most people who end their lives are not in touch with mental health services”
“suicide rises with recession”
“we’re a high reporter”
“we provide drug and alcohol services”
“lessons learned”
“problems with national data”
“we’re a large trust”
None of which explains the more than doubling of the number of unexpected deaths of patients under the care of NSFT following vicious cuts to staffing and mental health services.
No wonder the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Norfolk County Council has written to the NSFT Chief Executive with more questions.
Here is the shameful graph again:
