Patients, carers, professionals and members of the public met at the University of East Anglia to share their experiences at the second anniversary meeting of the Campaign to Save Mental Services in Norfolk and Suffolk. The guest speaker, author and Guardian journalist Owen Jones, was invited because of a moving article he wrote when the […]
EDP: Meeting hears of mental health concerns Read More »
Aisha Gani and James Meikle of The Guardian report: Official figures say detentions under the Act have risen nearly 10% in a year, causing concern among charities that services are failing to act early. Mental health campaigners have expressed concern that detentions under the Mental Health Act have risen by almost 10% in England in
The Guardian: Rise in Mental Health Act detentions shows ‘services struggling to cope’ Read More »
In another powerful piece of journalism, David Powles, Investigations Editor of the EDP, writes: At 26 years old, Jacqueline Boulton had so much to live for. Talented, caring, funny, intelligent – and so very loved by her family and friends. But her infectious smile masked the chronic depression which she suffered for so many years
Nicholas Carding, Health Correspondent of the EDP reports: A shortage of permanent nursing staff at several mental health wards in Norfolk has today prompted concerns over patient safety. Directors of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) will discuss staffing issues at a meeting in Norwich tomorrow, with a senior manager warn-ing the problem poses
Tom Potter of Archant reports: Health chiefs have promised to learn lessons from a review into the deaths of two vulnerable adults which exposed a catalogue of failures surrounding their care. An overhaul of support for adults with learning disabilities has been called for following the deaths of a 33-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman
EDP: Deaths of two vulnerable adults in Suffolk expose failings in care Read More »
Even The Sun is now printing articles about the problems accessing mental health services for children and young people in Suffolk. Bella Battle reports: Chloe, from Ipswich, Suffolk, said: “Does my own daughter have to put me in hospital before someone will act?” In a desperate attempt to help, Macey’s school contacted social services recommending
The Sun: Daughter-from-hell Macey, 9, terrifies mum… Read More »
David Powles of the Eastern Daily Press reports: Michael Scott, Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust chief executive, pledged at yesterday’s AGM it had learned from its mistakes and promised that high quality, safe services would become ‘the norm not the exception’. However, his promises have been met with apprehension from mental health campaigners, who say
EDP: We’re at a turning point, says Norfolk and Suffolk mental health chief Read More »
The BBC reports: Spending on sending Norfolk and Suffolk mental health patients outside the two counties has risen four-fold in a year, new figures show. The annual report for the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust says it spent £3.3m on placements outside the area in 2014-15 compared with £800,000 in 2013-14. It says this was
BBC News: Spend on patients out of area up 400pc Read More »
The Eastern Daily Press reports: A lack of beds and increased demand led to a four-fold increase in the cost of sending people with mental health problems outside of Norfolk and Suffolk in 2014/15. When a bed on a ward is not available for people who need it in the region they are sent elsewhere
EDP: Four-fold increase in bill to send mental health patients out of the region Read More »
In a major new piece of investigative journalism, David Powles of Archant reports: Huge increases in the number of children in Suffolk suffering from mental health problems were today laid bare – amid major concerns about the quality of services youngsters receive. Today, concerns were raised that help and support for children in Suffolk is
EADT: Why are mental health problems rising in Suffolk? Read More »
The country has run out of mental health beds after the closure of more than two thousand NHS beds. The Express and Star reports: A mental health patient spent 64 hours in police custody, taking 22 officers off the streets and costing taxpayers’ £20,000 – because there were no available NHS beds in the entire country.
An internal investigation has been launched into mental health services in Suffolk and Norfolk after the number of patient deaths increased from 95 to 130 in a year. It means that the average number of deaths, including in accidents and suicides by people known to professionals to be living with a mental health disorder, has
Ellis Barker of the East Anglian Daily Times reports: An internal investigation has been launched into mental health services in Suffolk and Norfolk after the number of patient deaths increased from 95 to 130 in a year. It means the average number of deaths, including in accidents and suicides by people known to professionals to
“Ours is a moral campaign, founded in November 2013 by mental health staff deeply concerned about cuts and service closures at NSFT and what they believed was a cluster of preventable deaths caused by the so-called ‘radical redesign’ process. Those brave staff have been joined by more than two thousand users of mental health services,
A funeral every ten days: Campaign statement on the increase in deaths in the community Read More »
Nic Rigby of the BBC reports: The number of Norfolk and Suffolk mental health patient deaths has gone up from four to six a month between 2013 and 2015, it has been revealed. The 50% increase in the average number of deaths, excluding deaths by natural causes or those drug-related, goes before a trust meeting
BBC News: Concern at rise in mental health patient deaths Read More »
David Powles of the EDP exclusively reports: Campaigners fear even more adult mental health patients will have to be sent outside of the region, after it was confirmed a unit to treat them in had been closed down. Yesterday, health bosses confirmed the remaining two patients had been transferred to the nearby Northgate Hospital in
EDP: Anger as Suffolk adult mental health unit closes Read More »
Lauren Cope of the EDP reports: A campaign to secure the long-term future of a women’s mental health unit, which last year battled closure, has been relaunched. Now, uncertainty over whether the CCGs will supply the four beds for another year means the Save Ashcroft campaign group has organised a second public meeting to bring
EDP: Campaign to secure Wicklewood mental health unit’s long-term future is relaunched Read More »
Nicholas Carding of the Eastern Daily Press reports: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found staff at Beach Ward, in Hammerton Court, Julian Hospital, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, had carried out incomplete record-keeping, incomplete risk-assessments, and that there was a “poor compliance with mental capacity assessments.” Beach Ward, run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT),
EDP: Eight areas of concern found at one ward in Norfolk hospital Read More »
The Daily Mail has now picked up on the Press Association report of a national scandal. Click on the image below to read the story on the Daily Mail website:
Daily Mail: No mental health beds available in England, trust chief was told Read More »
