Today’s EDP reports on how Norfolk mental health patients have had to endure up to eight hour waits for ambulances. What this reported eight hours doesn’t include is the time waiting from an assessment by overburdened crisis teams or the often even longer waits while attempts are made to find an out-of-area bed in a […]
EDP: 999 Mental Health Crisis Read More »
Whatever Mr. Page, the Chair of Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), tries to claim in the EDP, the crisis in mental health services deepens, with: hundreds of people who use services without a care coordinator between twenty and thirty people in beds beyond Norfolk & Suffolk at any one time crisis teams overwhelmed
Below, you’ll find the old Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Team (CRHT) referral form and the current one. How many differences can you spot? Of course, the big difference between the old and the current form is the additional box entitled ‘CRHT Triage Contact within four hours of
The centrepiece of the ‘radical redesign’, the Access & Assessment Team (AAT) consistently failed, month after month, to meet its performance targets for two out of every three assessments in 2013. Many people who were referred in January of this year are receiving phone calls now, in April, three months later. Access & Assessment delivers
37th Day of Lent: Going without fit for purpose Access & Assessment Read More »
Last week, there were 21 patients placed beyond Norfolk & Suffolk by Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). That means as far away as Bradford, Weston-Super-Mare, Hastings, Dorking, or London. These are not ‘specialist placements’ but patients who could be treated on an open acute ward, such as Waveney Ward, Glaven Ward , or the now-closed Thurne Ward
36th Day of Lent: Going without enough beds Read More »
‘S’ writes: “One of my neighbours lives in South Norfolk, in the Diss area. He has been under under-65 services for many years as he has suffered from the enduring mental health issue of depression. This ebbs and flows; this year he is very low in mood, he was discharged from the service because they felt
Campaigners raised their concerns after figures from a Freedom of Information (FoI) request revealed that the organisation had not hit its referral targets for the last five months of 2013. Figures showed that 65pc of emergency referrals received an assessment in four hours, only 17pc of urgent referral cases were contacted within 72 hours and
EDP: Concern over mental health referral service in Norfolk Read More »
This shocking story has been shared by ‘Ben’ (name has been changed). It sadly shows another failure caused by the inability of the post cuts, post ‘radical redesign’ Adult Mental Health Services of Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) to consistently respond to people in crisis in a timely and appropriate way. However, this
33rd Day of Lent: Going without the NHS Read More »
Some staff were paid to leave Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) only last week. NSFT has wasted millions of pounds and put services at risk. What a scandal. Soon to qualify? Newly qualified? Experienced? Any level of experience… Staff Nurses and Mental Health Workers/Practitioners All jobs… Temporary or permanent… Band 5 and Band 6 Other bands
The warnings below are from an email sent more than sixteen months ago by a carer to Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). The email containing these quotations was sent on 22nd November 2012. This email provides evidence that the Operations Director of NSFT knew and admitted that demand for beds was rising as long ago
32nd Day of Lent: Going without listening to warnings Read More »
Luke writes: “A few weeks ago an 86 year old man needed admission. He was sectioned, and after FOUR hours of phone calls a bed was eventually found… in SCUNTHORPE. Yes, the nearest available bed to Norfolk and Suffolk was SCUNTHORPE. However, there was no ambulance service available to take him, private or public. So, his
29th Day of Lent: Going without beds for both husband and wife Read More »
Abraham writes: “We all know that spending £7.3 million on redundancies when there are 361 vacancies at Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is an outrageous scandal which threatens the safe delivery of services to the vulnerable, as well as an extraordinary waste of money. Sometimes, it is whispered that the purpose of the
28th Day of Lent: Going without basic numeracy skills Read More »
Sebastian writes: “The Central Cluster CRHT have had to give up nine band six staff, those who are most experienced and qualified in the Team; they carry out the risk assessments and provide leadership to the Team. They have all been downgraded to Band five under a dubious process; four of them have been transferred
26th Day of Lent: Going without an ‘enhanced CRHT’ Read More »
http://norfolksuffolkmentalhealthcrisis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/BBC-Radio-4-World-at-One-4-April-2014-Crisis-at-NSFT.mp3 Isn’t it incredible that NHS England couldn’t find anybody to talk on national radio about the crisis in mental health?
Campaign member Emma Corlett of Unison, who is also a Norfolk County Councillor and member champion for mental health, said they had received “unanimous support” from people during the two day walk. She added that they wanted to raise the profile of mental health cuts in Norfolk and Suffolk. “We met people who talked about
EDP: Mental health campaigners complete walk from Ipswich to Norwich Read More »
William writes: “Due to team members leaving & maternity cover, we’re being told to move patients to a ‘team-held pot’ rather with duty expected to pick them up rather than allocating a care co-ordinator. It is an unusual practice and who is accountable? As duty is covered by existing team members, it is still adding
25th Day of Lent: Going without an assigned care co-ordinator Read More »
Rebecca writes: “Carers of children who develop mental illness cling onto hope – initially, hope for a complete cure. The shock of a child’s personality altered by incurable mental illness, with their future in jeopardy, takes years to understand. Gradually acceptance emerges with the constant hope that the cared for person attains insight into his
24th Day of Lent: Going without… carers being listened to Read More »
A highly-respected national broadcaster and journalist urgently needs to talk to those with knowledge or experience of using mental health services and the impact of the savage cuts and ‘radical redesign’ at Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). They want to hear from people who uses mental health services, carers, family members and professionals
Urgent: National journalist and broadcaster needs our help! Read More »
Orwell Housing Association moves into Carlton Court One of the saddest moments of the sham consultation meeting in Beccles was in many respects the most damning. A former governor of Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), and pretty much the sole member of the audience to support the NSFT Board, said what a wonderful job
21st Day of Lent: Going without… Carlton Court Read More »
