EDP: Mental health service failure “significantly contributed” to suicide of Norwich mother

Dominic Gilbert of the Eastern Daily Press reports: Failures of mental health services “significantly contributed” to the suicide of a mother struggling with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, a jury has found. Katherine Rought-Rought died at her home in North Park Avenue in Norwich on June 1, 2016 from asphyxiation due to strangulation. Only hours […]

EDP: Mental health service failure “significantly contributed” to suicide of Norwich mother Read More »

EADT: Suffolk patient moved 150 miles to Derbyshire mental health unit following Lark Ward closure

Gemma Mitchell of the East Anglian Daily Times reports: A Suffolk father is facing a six-hour round trip to visit his vulnerable son following the closure of a vital mental health unit in Ipswich. A Stowmarket man whose 20-year-old son is a patient on Lark Ward, based in the grounds of Ipswich Hospital, has spoken

EADT: Suffolk patient moved 150 miles to Derbyshire mental health unit following Lark Ward closure Read More »

Audio: BBC Radio Norfolk: Matthew Gudgin interviews NSFT interim CEO Julie Cave and a campaigner about the closure of yet another 36 beds

Matthew Gudgin of the BBC interviews a spokesperson for our campaign and the interim Chief Executive of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), Julie Cave, about the closure of yet another 36 mental health beds in Norfolk and Suffolk. We are asked whether we have any confidence in the newly-appointed Chief Executive of NSFT,

Audio: BBC Radio Norfolk: Matthew Gudgin interviews NSFT interim CEO Julie Cave and a campaigner about the closure of yet another 36 beds Read More »

BBC News: Norfolk and Suffolk mental health beds closures ‘shocking’

The BBC reports: Thirty-six mental health beds are being closed by Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, eight of them permanently. Further details have emerged after it was revealed a mental health ward in Ipswich would be temporarily shut. The trust said the closures “were in the best interests of patients”. But the Campaign to

BBC News: Norfolk and Suffolk mental health beds closures ‘shocking’ Read More »

EADT: ‘This is a humanitarian disaster’ – Mental health trust closes 36 beds

Gemma Mitchell of the East Anglian Daily Times reports: The region’s beleaguered mental health trust has had to shut 36 beds since autumn, it has been revealed. Beds have closed in Ipswich, Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. At least eight of the bed closures are permanent. Service users and carers and their organisations received little

EADT: ‘This is a humanitarian disaster’ – Mental health trust closes 36 beds Read More »

EDP: Consultant psychiatrist says Norwich mother should have been admitted to hospital before her death

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: A consultant psychiatrist said the set up of mental health services across the country was “terrible” at an inquest into the death of a Norwich mother. Dr Robert Higgo, an expert clinical psychiatrist, gave evidence at Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich this morning, into the death of

EDP: Consultant psychiatrist says Norwich mother should have been admitted to hospital before her death Read More »

Norwich Evening News: Man “frustrated” at mental health delays took his own life after NHS 111 hung up on him

Dominic Gilbert of the Norwich Evening News reports: A 32-year-old with Asperger’s and emotionally unstable personality disorder took his own life when NHS 111 call handlers hung up on him after months of “frustrations” with mental health services. At the inquest into his death, John Worthington’s parents have said their son was “failed” for years

Norwich Evening News: Man “frustrated” at mental health delays took his own life after NHS 111 hung up on him Read More »

EDP: Tranquilisation changes came too little too late for Norwich man, says sister

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: “The sister of a mentally ill man who died after being tranquillised in hospital has slammed the region’s mental health trust for not addressing problems with the practice sooner. And a inquest into his death found failings in the care he received from Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation

EDP: Tranquilisation changes came too little too late for Norwich man, says sister Read More »

Beds not Tea: Cuts Café Consultation: Last chance to respond

The bureaucrats who commission NHS mental health services in Norfolk have decided to run their consultation into the proposed cuts café over the Christmas and New Year holiday period, thus ensuring as few people as possible respond. Commissioners tried to do a back-door deal to give a ‘pilot’ cuts café contract to Norfolk Mind without

Beds not Tea: Cuts Café Consultation: Last chance to respond Read More »

EDP: Mother of Norwich man who died of heroin overdose blames institutional failings of mental health trust

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: The family of a man who died of a heroin overdose at his Norwich flat blamed “institutional failings of the mental health trust” for the circumstances surrounding his death. Mr Jacobs’ friends told Norfolk’s Coroner’s Court this morning it was here Mr Jacobs was victim to the

EDP: Mother of Norwich man who died of heroin overdose blames institutional failings of mental health trust Read More »

BBC News: Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust back in special measures

The BBC reports: A mental health trust has been put back in special measures after its board “failed” to address serious concerns raised since 2014, a report says. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), which rated the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) as inadequate, has called for a host of improvements. It is the

BBC News: Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust back in special measures Read More »

EDP: Mental health crisis services in Norfolk are ‘uncaring, unwelcoming, unsafe and ineffective’ says new report

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: “Tell them you are suicidal and they do nothing”. This is one of the shocking comments made by people in desperate need about Norfolk’s mental health crisis care. They are revealed today in a damning report by Healthwatch Norfolk, which spoke to 680 crisis care users –

EDP: Mental health crisis services in Norfolk are ‘uncaring, unwelcoming, unsafe and ineffective’ says new report Read More »

Dis the CQC: NSFT pays consultants £58,000 to contradict the Care Quality Commission about beds

Explaining why services at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) were unsafe, the most recent inspection report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) noted (page 8): “There remained a shortage of beds across the trust and that this had impaired patient safety and treatment at times. Staff worked with other services in the trust

Dis the CQC: NSFT pays consultants £58,000 to contradict the Care Quality Commission about beds Read More »

Beds Crisis: EDP: Man spends nearly three days in police custody waiting for a mental health bed

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: A man was held in police custody for nearly 60 hours while he waited for a mental health bed to become available. The man – one of 10 similar cases recorded by police between May 2016 and February 2017 – was arrested for a public order offence

Beds Crisis: EDP: Man spends nearly three days in police custody waiting for a mental health bed Read More »

Meeting with NSFT on Monday 14th August

Sorry about the late notice. We are meeting NSFT to talk about improving its Suicide Prevention Strategy and recent moves elsewhere in the country to adopt a zero tolerance approach. Meet in the top car park at Hellesdon Hospital at 1645. The delegation will be led by Terry Skyrme. A location map is below:

Meeting with NSFT on Monday 14th August Read More »

Fact check: EDP: ‘Things are moving in the right direction’ at region’s mental health trust, says chief executive

Geraldine Scott of the EDP ‘interviews’ Michael ‘Payrise’ Scott, the £175,000 per year Chief Executive of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT): The region’s mental health trust has reported it has seen financial growth at the same time as slashing its deficit for the first time in five years. That sounds great. Sadly, ‘slashing

Fact check: EDP: ‘Things are moving in the right direction’ at region’s mental health trust, says chief executive Read More »

Fixed, Flawed Farce: Part 4: BBC News: Trust among worst for treating mentailly ill patients out of county

Mariam Issimdar of the BBC reports: Norfolk and Suffolk’s mental health trust is in the top five in the country for sending patients out of area for care. Last year more than 350 adult mental health patients were sent out of the county for treatment by the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT). The BMA’s

Fixed, Flawed Farce: Part 4: BBC News: Trust among worst for treating mentailly ill patients out of county Read More »

EDP: Norfolk clinical commissioning group one of just nine in England to miss mental health investment target as suicide rates soar

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: One of Norfolk’s clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) is due to fall short of the amount of money it should be putting towards mental health despite latest figures showing the number of suicides in the area has rocketed. Research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has shown

EDP: Norfolk clinical commissioning group one of just nine in England to miss mental health investment target as suicide rates soar Read More »

Fixed, Flawed Farce: Part 3: EDP: A staggering waste: More than £1.6m spent sending region’s mental health patients to private hospital in just seven months

Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press reports: More than £1.6m has been spent by the region’s mental health trust on sending patients to a private hospital since it was put into special measures by inspectors last year. Mental health campaigners alleged Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) continue to use the private Mundesley Hospital,

Fixed, Flawed Farce: Part 3: EDP: A staggering waste: More than £1.6m spent sending region’s mental health patients to private hospital in just seven months Read More »

General Election 2017: Questions for Keith Simpson, Conservatives, Broadland

Dear Keith, Here are some questions for you about mental health in Broadland: Do you agree that it is a scandal that the age-adjusted three-year-rolling suicide rate, as published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), rose by a staggering 164 per cent in Broadland between 2010-12 and 2013-15 while you were the Conservative MP

General Election 2017: Questions for Keith Simpson, Conservatives, Broadland Read More »

Scroll to Top