Deaths Crisis: Your comments: BBC Panorama: Britain’s Mental Health Crisis

Below is a selection of the messages we have received since the BBC Panorama programme examining the massive increase in the number of unexpected deaths after the savage cuts inflicted upon mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk:

So grateful to make contact and so pleased to learn about the efforts being made to draw attention to the wants and needs of all those affected by mental health issues.  These very serious topics are of very serious concern to me especially since the untimely death of my son [redacted] whose suicide has not been acknowledged on his death certificate as during the inquest his suicide letter, written on the day of his death, was discounted by the coroner at Norwich.

I was astonished to learn of the number of unexpected deaths occurring in Norfolk and Suffolk, the area where my son lived and worked.
It breaks my heart to think that with improved facilities my son may well have been saved and healed.

I shall be pleased to receive information and help and support during this very difficult time; and offer what help and support towards the continued efforts your team are making.

Please carry on telling people how bad things are….. they’re getting worse not better (from staff member)

My son is one of the people who can’t speak out because he’s one of their “statistics”.  We don’t have the strength to fight.  Please keep fighting for the truth and exposing how people are still being failed.

it put across some really important messages…… what you had to say had real impact.  I hope the documentary shocks others like it shocked me, and leads to something positive.

I watched your program about the issues with the state of the mental health service. My son managed to take his life on a secure unit with a one to one watching him at all times even when asleep. They falsified documentation that my son was alive all through the night until 4 a.m. but sadly had passed away at one in the morning I knew they lied but there was nothing I could do about it. He was in a drug rehab unit and managed to take an overdose.

I check the CQC reports and they have changed nothing to stop this from happening to another persons son or daughter. I feel my son died for nothing, and he meant nothing, its all about money.

What you did took some pluck. I know only too well what the culture of the NHS is like, so well done for speaking out….. N& S NHS trust nigh on impossible to get help

I am the person who asked Michael Scott at the AGM of the Trust to apologise for the so called unexpected deaths of those who had been in contact with Trust services. I am saddened to inform you that I learned today of a man in the target group of 40 to 60 for Suffolk’ suicide strategy has taken his own life. He had access to services on poppy ward in Woodlands, Ipswich. The crisis continues, the system fails. More lives are devastated. I’ll watch panorama with anger knowing if the planned underfunding of the NHS occurs as intended by the so called sustainability and transformation plans more people will take their own life.

Thank you and well done on Panorama . Respect to you all (from staff member)

I have been so moved today by the Panorama documentary that you have been involved with. Thank you for your compassionate campaign to save your local mental health services. I experienced mental health concerns of anxiety and depression and my own local trust failed me during that time. Thankfully, I was able to get help through being signposted by a charity. This is such an important campaign and I was so moved by what you are doing.

Well done and keep up the good work.

Panorama. Thank you for your honesty (from staff member)

One thing that sticks in the mind about Panorama is Michael Scott’s comment, ‘We are on a journey…’ He might be on a journey but he is not informing us where, how or time of arrival. Michael Scott, while you are on your journey, remember the poor service users depending on you who have not and will not arrive with you – that is in fact if you ever arrive yourself – which in the opinion of most people is doubtful.

And the unexpected deaths do not take into all those poor frail older people moved hundreds of miles for a bed because the trust didn’t have any, and then died out of area. Where’s the stats on those, because I can guarantee that their frail, confused, poor physical states were NOT improved by carting them all over the country often hundreds of miles to find a bed (from staff member)

Hello Bit far to come from Cardiff will be with you in spirit. Watched Panorama, well done to all if you for an excellent and relentless campaign. Saying in Wales “the guilty flee with no one chasing them” and your group is in hot pursuit of Norfolk Trust !!

I ‘love’ the way Mr Scott described the shocking dramatic increase in the number of avoidable deaths as a ‘change in the figures’.  Next job Mr Hunt’s spin doctor? No apology, no acceptance of the agony of sufferers, carers. But did we expect any different? (from staff member)

It’s hard to walk away when you know of so much injustice. We can only do our bit though and you did yours

Don’t shut up

I really wanted to say a HUGE congratulations for going public on Panorama. I am FULL of respect for you.

Disappointed that there wasn’t more on management as that is/continues to be a major problem that is specific to our trust (from staff member)

saw Panorama last night, well done, carry on screaming x

My daughter’s father died last year in similar circumstances. Neglected to his death death by pinball care politics. There’s only so much family can do when specialist care is required and no longer on offer.

We will never get over his loss.

‘Mistakes were made ‘ said Mr Scott. So, what did Mr Gary Page say….hmmmm. Well I recall him on Look East, back at the time, telling viewers the board weren’t aware of any problems….(or they just weren’t listening to all those clinicians warning them).  Then it was all the clinicians fault, as they ‘ got what they wanted’. Again no, a few poor souls were duped by the agenda being driven through by certain people, who repeatedly refused to listen, branding those warning them as ‘ scaremongering ‘.   If a clinician makes a error,  they are held to account, and rightly so. They could be suspended, referred to their professional body, disciplined and of course fired.  So, who has been held to account……and what has been their punishment…….its rhetorical, because as we know, all those involved either have moved on to other lucrative posts, or remain in the Trust, on equally lucrative salaries and perks….no one has been held to account. The needless suffering and deaths of so many innocent people, and for what. A complete disgrace. (from staff member)

I am amazed at these figures. I thought everyone had made “a successful transition back into the community”, aka “left to rot in bedsits with no help until they kill themselves and the “Trust” can pretend they’re not at fault.” Are there still mental health services? I tried to get some. Been easier to find a unicorn. Hey! If I’d killed myself, I wouldn’t have been counted! Go, Norfolk And Suffolk!!!

Thanks for all the great work you do. Like many others I have been treated appalling by the trust

Oh sheila, so many deaths I know of, and so many lives lost, far more than the figures say !! I was so sad and so sorry to hear about Leo, you tried so hard and did your best. You did not fail him, the system did!

I just wanted to say how shocking and moving I found last night’s Panorama programme. You are remarkable, brave and courageous – no doubt borne out of the appalling necessity of such tragic loss of your dear son and the needless waste of life.

Nobody has Emailed to say that if they had done a good job in the first place !!!! they would not be in the situation!!!!. Makes me angry.

Thanks for all the great work you do. Like many others I have been treated appalling by the trust.

At January BOD one Director warned of dangers of carer involvement. Obviously there will be cases of abuse or exploitation and awareness of this must be encouraged but hopefully this is a minority. One expects this to be covered by robust safeguarding training and not need to be raised at BOD. Or does this mean safeguarding training for vulnerable adults is inadequate like so much else at NSFT? When BOD can’t provide service and then they encourage staff to alienate carers what hope have patients got? As a carer I feel far from supported especially when told by new care co, who couldn’t access Lorenzo as down and clearly hadn’t bothered to engage in handover meetings, that the aim was discharge from service less than 8weeks after discharge from hospital.

So comforting – seems nobody can find their way out of a paper bag.

Nothing changes with the NFST. The Board are appalling, what a mean and nasty world we live in now where we cannot help vulnerable people.

Michael Scott’s comments in the EDP on Tuesday in response to Panorama were pathetic.

Thinking of you and all the years you have been fighting for better care.

We shared a love for our sons and the desire to do all in our power to keep them safe.  Sadly we have to entrust their care to others and in this instance you have been tragically let down.

So many needless deaths! It’s a tragedy Sheila.

I hate the phrase ‘we’re on a journey’. I must leave any comment to Sheila not having been there myself, suffice to say that surely a monitored community service backed up by currently closed wards can’t cost much?

We’re on a journey, we sure are and you’d better not have any mental health problems!

Hearing Michael Scott’s comments last night on Panorama, ‘We are on a journey…’ We seem never to arrive.

I’m so sorry for you because I have the same struggle, so can relate to everything you said on Panorama.

Don’t forget to join us on the March for Mental Health on Sunday 30th April 2017. We will assemble at 11 a.m. on the steps of Norwich City Hall: We will remember them.

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