Video: Carer, Sheila Preston, and an anonymous service user interviewed by BBC Look East

If you use an Apple product and have problems viewing the video below, click here to view on youtube. There are, of course, the usual Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust denials and excuses too – this time from acting NSFT Chief Executive Andrew Hopkins. Strange, isn’t it, that there was no acknowledgement of problems with […]

Video: Carer, Sheila Preston, and an anonymous service user interviewed by BBC Look East Read More »

Audio: Extremely powerful interview of Emma Corlett of Unison and Campaign on BBC Norfolk Breakfast Show

This powerful and in-depth interview was on early this morning but should be compulsory listening for all those concerned about mental healthcare in Norfolk & Suffolk:     It is astonishing and illuminating that Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), with more than one thousand administrators, a large in-house Comms Team and a Board

Audio: Extremely powerful interview of Emma Corlett of Unison and Campaign on BBC Norfolk Breakfast Show Read More »

Audio: Campaign spokesperson and clinical psychologist, Ruth Turner, is lead interview on BBC Radio Norfolk Breakfast Show

As well as Ruth’s excellent interview, Emma Corlett from Unison and a service user on the telephone from the Norvic Clinic raise their safety concerns as part of the main news item which also features Norman Lamb, Care Minister and local MP, appearing to publicly back the concerns raised by the Campaign and staff!    

Audio: Campaign spokesperson and clinical psychologist, Ruth Turner, is lead interview on BBC Radio Norfolk Breakfast Show Read More »

Campaign’s response to the consultation launched on NSFT’s astonishing proposal to cut another 25 beds in Great Yarmouth and Waveney

Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) proposes to reduce by a further seventeen the number of beds for older people with dementia or psychiatric conditions and another eight acute adult psychiatric beds will also go – a net loss of twenty five beds. This is an unforgivable proposal when there is already a bed

Campaign’s response to the consultation launched on NSFT’s astonishing proposal to cut another 25 beds in Great Yarmouth and Waveney Read More »

Email: How Andrew Hopkins and Kathy Chapman tried to spin the news that NSFT has lost the £4 million Section 75 contract with Norfolk County Council

Dear Colleagues, Norfolk Council’s Cabinet has today (Monday, 27 January) agreed that the social care mental health service for adults of working age should return to their direct management after the end of the current section 75 partnership agreement with the Trust ends later this year. Their aim for the new arrangement is to deliver

Email: How Andrew Hopkins and Kathy Chapman tried to spin the news that NSFT has lost the £4 million Section 75 contract with Norfolk County Council Read More »

UNISON are angered over NSFT’s loss of contract

UNISON hit back today claiming that no one can make their mind up about running this service. Jeff Keighley, Regional Organiser for UNISON criticised both parties in their handling of this contract. “We have been petitioning the trust to improve services in the midst of heavy restructuring, downbanding of staff into lower skilled posts and

UNISON are angered over NSFT’s loss of contract Read More »

EDP: Shock Norfolk social care shake-up after serious concerns raised

This is a £4.3 million per annum contract lost for Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust  (NSFT) by the top-notch Executive Team: Serious concerns that social care for adults with mental health issues in Norfolk is not good enough has led to the county council taking responsibility for the service away from the mental health

EDP: Shock Norfolk social care shake-up after serious concerns raised Read More »

Damning Report on NSFT from Healthwatch Suffolk

Service User views on NSFT Services between April 2013 and January 2014: Preliminary Report to Suffolk Health Scrutiny Committee, January 2014 [The report is reproduced here without amendment apart from the highlighting in red of key phrases by us.] 1. Summary This paper summarises views expressed to Healthwatch Suffolk (HWS) by NSFT service users from

Damning Report on NSFT from Healthwatch Suffolk Read More »

EDP: Mental health trust for Norfolk and Suffolk could face financial penalties over poor performance

  Terry Skyrme, mental health worker and campaigner, asked the commissioners whether they were aware 13 pre-discharge beds at Hellesdon Hospital were about to close. “Have you been aware of the bed crisis for the last two years? The crisis is much, much worse with patients being sent to Harrogate, Brighton, Dorking and Weston-super-mare. It

EDP: Mental health trust for Norfolk and Suffolk could face financial penalties over poor performance Read More »

EDP: Is Nick Clegg’s action plan a solution to the challenges facing mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk?

Terry Skyrme, who works for the mental health crisis solution team in Norfolk, is one of the leading campaigners against the cuts and said it was like they were going around and around in circles. “Nobody is grasping the nettle. The Trust have managed the change really badly, but at the end of the day

EDP: Is Nick Clegg’s action plan a solution to the challenges facing mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk? Read More »

Bury Mercury: NSFT vacancies at Woodlands, Ipswich Hospital, Walker Close, Ipswich, Airey Close, Oulton Broad

Yet again, you couldn’t make this up. While NSFT plans to spend £7.3 million on redundancies, it is running expensive press advertisements desperately trying to recruit temporary staff via NHS Professionals. Thanks to the editor of Mumsnet Suffolk who spotted this press advertisement and sent it to us after seeing our earlier article about the central

Bury Mercury: NSFT vacancies at Woodlands, Ipswich Hospital, Walker Close, Ipswich, Airey Close, Oulton Broad Read More »

Silent Protest at Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee, Endeavour House, Ipswich: 22nd January 2014

Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee is taking place on Wednesday 22 January at Suffolk County Council at 10 a.m. Health Service issues will be discussed, including the crisis in Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT). We are holding a silent protest outside Endeavour House from 9.15 a.m. to around 9.45 a.m. Thanks to Jane Basham

Silent Protest at Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee, Endeavour House, Ipswich: 22nd January 2014 Read More »

EDP raises mental health funding as one of eight regional issues PM needs to know about

It is fantastic to see the EDP raising mental health funding as one of the eight issues it believes David Cameron needs to know about our region: MENTAL HEALTH: An investigation by the EDP last autumn revealed that the Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust had ordered a review into the reasons behind a spike in

EDP raises mental health funding as one of eight regional issues PM needs to know about Read More »

Financial scandal at NSFT: The Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk & Suffolk exposes the truth

Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) will overspend on compulsory and voluntary redundancies by a staggering 52.1% this financial year. That means it has spent £2.5 million pounds more than it has in its budget on redundancies. £2.5 million is enough to pay for an additional ten hospital beds for two years or safely-staffed

Financial scandal at NSFT: The Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk & Suffolk exposes the truth Read More »

Campaign wins beds crisis victory! EDP: Four month deadline to stop out of area mental health placements in Norfolk

Campaign has achieved its first result!   Terry Skyrme, of the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk and a crisis resolution team member at NSFT, said mental health services locally were in “dire crisis” and said 19 patients were placed outside of the two counties two weeks ago and eight of

Campaign wins beds crisis victory! EDP: Four month deadline to stop out of area mental health placements in Norfolk Read More »

HOSC: What has gone wrong with the ‘radical redesign? at NSFT

The original pdf version can be downloaded here. A contribution to Norfolk County Council’s Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee from the Campaign to save Mental Health Services in Norfolk & Suffolk January 2014 “Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally” John Maynard Keynes, The General Theory

HOSC: What has gone wrong with the ‘radical redesign? at NSFT Read More »

Response to NSFT’s letter refuting the Campaign’s Open Letter of 25/11/13

The Trust responded to our Campaign’s Open Letter of 25/11/13 with a letter circulated to Trust Governors and partner organisations (but not us) which attempted to refute our contention that the service is in crisis, and alleging certain inaccuracies in our statement. It should be pointed out that not one member of front-line staff, service users

Response to NSFT’s letter refuting the Campaign’s Open Letter of 25/11/13 Read More »

Scroll to Top