Victoria writes: “In 2003 I had a breakdown. My Mother had to take me to my GP’s surgery, as he refused a home visit. As I paced up & down the receptionist appeared & asked me to go into a private room as “I was upsetting” other patients. It took 3 days of hell before […]
10th Day of Lent: Going without services which have saved my life Read More »
Sally writes: “Since the new Trust service strategy, my son will see his psychiatrist twice a year for a review of his medication and care plan. Over two decades I have attended every review my son has had. I found the last two of these reviews discouraging and frustrating. Medication is rarely altered. Care plans
9th Day of Lent: Going without… hope Read More »
“However, there are still not enough mental health beds for young people on a local and national level, according to a new report commissioned by Healthwatch Norfolk. Experts from the University of East Anglia interviewed patients, commissioners, and mental health workers for the review. They concluded that patients felt that there was a lack of
8th Day of Lent: Going without enough beds for young people Read More »
Jane told us: “A group of people in a small Suffolk town came together in a local church hall. Until this group started I was told how lonely and isolated one man felt. He told me they drank coffee, learnt a little about each other and made friends. They were supported by mental health professional
7th Day of Lent: Going without Suffolk MIND’s local support Read More »
We’ve been having a look at the new, unlaunched and supposedly-hidden Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) website. We know from a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request that NSFT paid £25,000 for its new website as follows: “Supplier – Cloud2 Limited Design Cost £9,350.00 Development Cost £11,050.00 Deployment Cost £4,600.00 Total Cost £25,000.00″
Sixth Day of Lent: Going without… £24,993 wasted on a new NSFT website Read More »
Public Campaign Meeting Tuesday 18th March 7pm Suffolk One, Scrivener Drive, IPSWICH IP8 3SU Did you know: Mentally ill people are sent out of county because there are no beds free in Suffolk? Suffolk’s Early Intervention in Psychosis teams have been scrapped? Specialist Assertive Outreach intervention teams are being abolished at a time of rising
David says: “Therapists use many different tools. Some of my favourites use ladles and fish slices. Sharing a meal at a table does more than feed a patient’s body. It feeds our souls. Nourishing food garnished with tender humanity and a kind word, taken to a table and shared with other people whose lives are
5th Day of Lent: Going without a canteen Read More »
Peter writes: “I am significantly out of date for essential training updates which are a legal requirement for my continuing professional registration. I’ve had training requests repeatedly ignored in order that ‘the ward’ is not left unsafely staffed. Missing out on key training on use of the defibrillator, the prevention and management of aggression, safeguarding
4th Day of Lent: Going without mandatory training required for professional registration Read More »
Dr Geraldine Strathdee, NHS England’s national clinical director for mental health recently told Community Care: “I know there are a number [of Trusts] saying ‘we won’t have a crisis/home treatment team. Instead we’ll put that crisis team function, or that assertive outreach function, into generic services’. I’d urge anyone going with that approach to really
3rd Day of Lent: Going without… dedicated Assertive Outreach (AO) teams Read More »
This is an excellent piece of journalism looking at the bed shortage for young people. The BBC visits an oversubscribed child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) unit in Essex, The St Aubyn Centre, built by North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Sadly, but unsurprisingly: Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is the trust
Video: BBC Look East on the CAMHS Bed Shortage Read More »
Footyfan says: “When is this NHS Trust going to realise that whilst community-based care and treatment is great and looks to be the way forward, they must provide adequate resources for it to work? As a family that accesses this service I have to say the organisation of it is terrible; we worked out the
Rachel writes: “Meeting face-to-face with your psychiatrist is not for a chat. A consultation is imperative if the patient is to fully understand the nature of any medications they are prescribed and the possible and potentially very dangerous side-effects. The psychiatrist also has an opportunity to further know their patient and assess if the prescription
Read the full story written by the excellent Andy McNicoll by clicking on the image below:
The recipients of this letter were North Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with copies to Great Yarmouth & Waveney CCG (Healtheast), Norwich CCG, Norman Lamb – Minister of State for Care and Support and MP for North Norfolk, Harold Bodmer – Director of Adult Care Social Services at Norfolk County Council and the Care Quality Commission
A very good piece of reporting from Adam Gretton of the EDP covering the recruitment crisis at NSFT and its desperate plans to recruit from Portugal and Ireland despite making skilled and experienced staff redundant at a cost of £7.3 million – many of whom haven’t even left yet! A mental health trust, which has
EDP: Mental health trust looks overseas to help fill hundreds of vacancies Read More »
We held a demonstration outside Hellesdon Hospital on Saturday 1st March to highlight both the unannounced and scandalous plans to close 13 hostel beds at Hellesdon Hospital and the deepening crisis in mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Gallery: Demonstration at Hellesdon Hospital 1st March 2014 Read More »
We are holding a demonstration outside Hellesdon Hospital on Saturday 1st March to highlight both the unannounced and scandalous plans to close 13 hostel beds at Hellesdon Hospital and the deepening crisis in mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk. Join us at the main entrance to Hellesdon Hospital at 10 a.m. We chose a
Demonstration: Hellesdon Hospital, Saturday 1st March 10 a.m. Read More »
“NSFT is facing unprecedented challenges around recruitment, meaning a significant change in our approach is required. In January 2014, the Director of Nursing and Governance reported to the Board on a number of specific services that were experiencing unusual events or circumstances. The Board were made aware that these events were impacting on clinical quality. One
Yet again Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) cannot find a single member of the NSFT Board, which pays itself more than £750,000 per year, to appear on the BBC to talk about the NHS Staff Survey. There is a particularly illuminating response from a member of staff about NSFT’s reaction to the
