Campaign response to HealthEast decision to close beds at Carlton Court

Here is our response to Andy Evans, Chief Executive of Great Yarmouth & Waveney CCG (HealthEast), following the disastrous decision to close beds at Carlton Court: Mr Andy Evans Great Yarmouth & Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group Beccles House 1 Common Lane North Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9BN 1 October 2014 Dear Mr. Evans, Following your disastrous […]

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Audio: We could all be ‘John’. Health worker tells BBC Radio Norfolk about the impact of the Trust Service Strategy (TSS) on his own health

We could all be ‘John’.  Listen to health professional ‘John’ telling BBC journalist Louise Priest about the impact of the Trust Service Strategy (TSS) on his own mental and physical health.  

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Healthwatch Norfolk: Is it any use?

We have resisted criticising Healthwatch Norfolk, in large part out of respect for its Chairman, who was an outstanding Norfolk Coroner who never hesitated to hold Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) to public account. But, enough is enough. Today, Healthwatch Norfolk had a stall at the Forum in Norwich, with expensively-branded pencils, rubbers,

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In the cells: Breach of human rights so common that Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies have a standard complaint letter

It is happening again this weekend. No beds. No accountability. No responsibility. Norman Lamb claims to be a champion of the mentally ill with his self-promotional but resourceless gimmicks such as sponsored bike rides, the Cashless Concordat and ‘parity of esteem‘. The truth is that mental health services have been cut in real terms while

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Exclusive: Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) plans to cut more than 438 posts in only two years

We have been passed a copy of the Operational Plan 2014-16 of Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) and its contents are shocking. In the 2013-14 financial year, mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk were already in deep crisis and this campaign was founded as a result. Yet the Operational Plan submitted to

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25th September 2014: Cardboard City Protest at HealthEast CCG meeting deciding the fate of Carlton Court

Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (HealthEast) is making its decision about Carlton Court on Thursday 25th September, 2014. The meeting starts at 1.30 p.m. but we’ll be holding a demonstration beforehand from 1 p.m – the theme is lack of beds, so bring along a big cardboard box and a sleeping bag for

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What’s happening at Carlton Court? How different is it to what NSFT proposed and the public opposed?

Great Yarmouth & Waveney CCG (HealthEast) has set out recommendations this week for the future of mental health services after its public consultation. We are grateful to HealthEast for being the only one of Norfolk’s five clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to hold a public consultation. Let’s look at the facts: Acute adult services at Carlton

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BBC News: Assessment suite closures concern for mental health in Norfolk and Suffolk

Nic Rigby of the BBC reports: Concerns over plans to centralise Norfolk mental health assessment suites in Norwich have been raised by a police commissioner and a union. Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the suites, has started consulting staff on the proposal, the BBC understands. People are brought to the suites, often

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EDP: Health watchdog urges mental health trust to improve community services in Norfolk and Suffolk

Award-winning Health Correspondent Adam Gretton of the EDP reports: Officials from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said the mental health trust for Norfolk and Suffolk had high numbers of “worse than expected” results from the survey, which was conducted by the health watchdog earlier this year. More than 250 patients using community services at NSFT

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BBC: Campaign hero Terry Skyrme interviewed about crisis and retirement

Nic Rigby reports: Terry Skyrme said when he joined the mental health service in Norfolk, the county had one of the best outreach teams (working with people with mental health) in the country. Mr Skyrme, 68, who has been a social worker since 1972, said he was once proud of the “fantastic” service provided by

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NSFT AGM 2014: Remuneration Report & (un)Fair Pay Disclosure in the NSFT Annual Report & Accounts 2013-14

Ever wondered why NSFT does so badly in the NHS Staff Survey? In 2011-12, the Fair Pay Ratio was 6.3, meaning the highest-paid director was earning 6.3 times the median salary. By 2013-14, the Fair Pay Ratio had risen to 8.0 which is 27% worse than three years before, while services and budgets have been

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Friday 19th September 2014: Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) Annual General Meeting (AGM) is being held at Trinity Park, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich IP3 8UH between 1730 and 1830 with refreshments from 1700. The Campaign is not making a major effort to be present because questions are limited to ten minutes and the whole meeting lasts only one hour. However, it

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EDP: Concern over £16m temporary staffing bill for Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust

“Emma Corlett, NSFT Unison media spokesperson, who is also a mental health nurse in Norwich, said the cuts to local services had proved to be a “false economy.” She added that the trust continued to spend large sums of money on temporary staffing costs, which amounted to £2.39m in August and more than £8m for the

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Community Care: How mental health teams that are key to crisis prevention have been cut back

Andy McNicoll is an excellent investigative journalist. McNicoll’s latest article at Community Care demonstrates Norman Lamb’s duplicity and hollow words, outlining the cuts to crisis prevention as funding has been slashed for Assertive Outreach (AO), Early Intervention (EI) and Crisis teams. Norman Lamb’s claim to be a champion of the mentally ill is a very sick

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Lowestoft Journal: Demonstrators gather outside Carlton Court to protest at mental health cuts

Kathryn Bradley of the Lowestoft Journal reports: The group was cheered on by visitors and staff entering the hospital grounds. During the event, Mr Skyrme said NSFT was also proposing to cut Section 136 suites at Carlton Court and throughout Norfolk and replace them with a single unit at Hellesdon. The suites are used to assess

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BBC News: Norfolk and Suffolk mental health unit waits of 22 hours ‘not acceptable’

Nic Rigby of the BBC reports: Patients having to wait up to 22 hours in mental health assessment suites in Norfolk and Suffolk is “unacceptable”, leading experts have said. A BBC Freedom of Information request found that between January and July, seven patients had to wait more than 15 hours and three more than 20.

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Gallery: Carlton Court demonstration Saturday 13th September 2014

Mental health services across Norfolk and Suffolk need more beds not fewer. The people of Waveney need a local hospital, section 136 suite and crisis team. Many of the people who use Carlton Court are not local but come from across Norfolk and Suffolk. We cannot allow the destruction of an integrated mental health care system and

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Saturday 13th September: Demonstrate to Save Carlton Court

Mental health services across Norfolk and Suffolk need more beds not fewer. The people of Waveney need a local hospital, section 136 suite and crisis team. Many of the people who use Carlton Court are not local but come from across Norfolk and Suffolk. We cannot allow the destruction of an integrated mental health care

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