On 16th April, the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Norfolk County Council held a meeting to review the disastrous ‘radical redesign‘ at Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). The Chief Executive of NSFT, Michael Scott, was accompanied by the Operations Director (Norfolk), Debbie White, and the Locality Operations Manager in West Norfolk, Marcus Hayward. […]
What is it like trying to obtain information from Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT)? Public bodies have a statutory duty to respond within twenty working days which means we should have received a response to the request below in the middle of January. We have yet to receive a response from NSFT after more
Norman Lamb called our campaign ‘mental health extremists‘ for simply pointing out that Norman Lamb claims to be a mental health champion whilst cutting mental health funding and services. Now the £600 million’s worth of Norman Lamb’s duplicity is clear for all to see. What kind of ‘drive for parity of esteem’ results in the
Many thanks to Campaign supporting artist, Saul Timothy, for the fantastic original artwork.
Campaign Cartoon: NSFT’s Robbing Hood and his Very Well Off Men Read More »
Lauren Cope of the EDP reports: A mental health service under severe financial strain raised the salary of its chief executive by £35,000 – as its frontline NHS staff dealt with tough pay cuts. It has faced stringent budget cuts, with the average pay steadily falling from £26,557 in 2010/11 to £21,761 in 2013/14 –
The average salary of staff at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) fell by £4,796 (18%) in just three years from £26,557 to £21,761 between 2011 and 2014. Mental health services were trashed as part of the failed ‘radical redesign’ which resulted in NSFT being rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Monitor
We’ve just receives this shocking press release from Mick Hardy, prospective parliamentary candidate in Norwich North for the Dandy Party and a founder member of the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk: Mental health charity Mind excludes election candidate, mental health service user and disability campaigner, Mick Hardy, from its mental
Bizarrely, this report leaves The Guardian as the only quality daily newspaper which has not reported on the crisis at Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). For how long can what many regard as the natural newspaper of the caring professions ignore what is going on the constituency of the minister responsible for mental
The Times: Officials seize control of shamed trust Read More »
Today, members of the Campaign attended the NSFT Board meeting in Ipswich. Matt Bunn of the Ipswich Star reports: Bosses at the trust running mental health services in Suffolk have pledged to fight for their “fair share” of funding as they bid to turn round the fortunes of the organisation. The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS
The health regulator has appointed Alan Yates as Improvement Director at the trust. Alan has over 27 years NHS experience, over half of which he has spent working for mental health trusts. Alan is employed by Monitor, but is based at the trust in a part-time capacity. He will work alongside the trust’s leadership, providing
The Improvement Director chosen by Monitor is Alan Yates. “Most recently Alan has successfully supported Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust in its efforts to sustain its services through reputational damage, staff retention issues and organizational flux until dissolution.”
Campaign Cartoon: The Man from Monitor Read More »
Nic Rigby of the BBC reports: A mental health trust has become the first in England to be put in special measures. NHS regulator Monitor will send a team to take over the management of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. The decision comes after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reported that the trust was
BBC News: Norfolk and Suffolk health trust in special measures Read More »
Tom Bristow of the EDP reports: Special measures will see the appointment of an “improvement director” to provide expertise and hold the trust to account, and arranging a partnership with a high-performing trust. Monitor has also imposed a new condition on NSFT’s licence, enabling the regulator to take further action, such as replacing members of
EDP: Norfolk’s mental health service put in special measures Read More »
NSFT becoming the first mental health trust to be put into special measures was inevitable following the damning CQC inspection and the financial black hole. Our main concern is that service users and frontline staff are not made to pay the price of the NSFT Board’s wasted millions with further cuts to already inadequate services.
Campaign Statement on Monitor putting NSFT into Special Measures Read More »
Tom Bristow of the EDP reports: Mr Lamb, MP for North Norfolk and care minister, suggested the [Norfolk & Norwich] hospital dropped its interest in becoming a mutual because it was under investigation by regulator Monitor for persistently missing waiting time targets. “It is immensely disappointing,” Mr Lamb said. “I obviously understand that they are
Laura Donnelly of the Daily Telegraph reports: Sir Robert believes that many of the worst failings in the NHS occur when clinical staff become powerless — are left “shrugging their shoulders” rather than challenging poor care. As he made a public call for evidence, he told The Telegraph that he feared too many had been hounded out
A sad lesson in how to get it so very, very wrong So, those who suggested the emperor was parading naked, and not clad in new finery, have been proved right. The very birth of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust was accompanied by a chorus of warnings: about jobs; about finance; and – crucially – about care. Critics
EADT Editorial: A sad lesson in how to get it so very, very wrong Read More »
The Daily Telegraph reports on the CQC Inspection of Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). The Telegraph also carries a link to the Aidan ‘I’m no Dirty Den’ Thomas email story which will bring back difficult memories to many readers, especially employees of NSFT and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). Click on
Daily Telegraph: Special measures threat for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Read More »
Rosie Taylor of the Daily Mail reports: A mental health trust where patients have been punished with a dangerous form of restraint faces being put into special measures. Inspectors found serious problems at the body that oversees mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk. These included patients being held in the face-down prone position and
