The BBC reports:
An NHS mental health service, which was the first in England to be placed in special measures, has recorded its highest number of unexpected deaths.
Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) recorded 157 deaths in 2014-15, compared to 88 deaths in 2012-13.
Verita, which the trust instructed to carry out the investigation, said NSFT was not doing enough to establish why the deaths were happening.
It was both humbling and inspiring to see the father of Christopher Higgins, Jon, at today’s NSFT board of directors meeting. Jon quite rightly told the directors of NSFT that the rise in unexpected deaths ‘a disaster’.
The number of unexpected deaths is still rising. In the most recent month available, March 2016, there were 17 deaths. Shameful.
In the first three months of the year there were 45 unexpected deaths.
If this continues, there will be 180 unexpected deaths this year.
Typically, NSFT seeks to have its cake and eat it, claiming that national comparisons are impossible with non-standardised data whilst simultaneously claiming that everything is fine because the number of deaths is below the national average.
The presentation by the Director of Nursing, Jane Sayer, at today’s meeting completely ignored the fact that, on present trend, unexpected deaths this year will be at least double the number in 2012-13 when the disastrous radical redesign was implemented.
Read the story in full on the BBC News website by clicking on the image below:
