We were all delighted to meet Andy McNicoll, deservedly Mind Mental Health Journalist of the Year, at our campaign meeting yesterday. Ethical investigative journalism is a critical component in our campaign and Andy McNicoll’s work with the BBC’s Michael Buchanan has been of the highest quality.
In November 2013 a campaign led by frontline staff warned that cuts to services had made it ‘almost impossible’ to practice safely. In March 2014, social workers told care minister Norman Lamb – whose north Norfolk constituency is served by the trust – that a shortage of beds had left them unable to operate safely or legally.
Emma Corlett, a mental health nurse and spokesperson for the trust’s Unison branch, said that the CQC had picked up on concerns that frontline staff had warned about for some time.
“It’s sad that it has taken the CQC inspection to get the extent of the difficulties facing our teams to be properly acknowledged,” she said.
“We’re pleased that the compassion and caring nature of staff – despite them trying to work without adequate resources – is acknowledged. People are going the extra mile in extremely difficult circumstances. But the problems the CQC have found is what happens when you impose savage cuts on a mental health trust budget. It impacts the quality and safety of care.”
Click on the image below to read Andy McNicoll’s article in full on the Community Care website:
