Geraldine Scott of the Eastern Daily Press writes: Across Europe, one person takes their own life every two hours. And in Norfolk we have significantly higher rates of suicide than other parts of the UK. The number of suicides in Norfolk is appalling: The age-adjusted three-year-rolling suicide rate, as published by the Office for National […]
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 »
Geraldine Scott of Norfolk Norfolk News reports: Rebecca Haley, known to friends as Becca, died on April 30 at the boarding school in Cromer Road, Holt. Rebecca was one of a staggering twenty Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) patients to die unexpected deaths in April 2016. In the first full year of NSFT’s
Many thanks once again to our Campaign supporting artist, Saul Timothy, for his fantastic original artwork.
Campaign Cartoon: “Pull the curtains: We don’t want to see any of that!!” Read More »
Gemma Mitchell of the East Anglian Daily Times reports: Campaigners have demanded answers and greater transparency from mental health bosses over a “shocking” rise in unexpected patient deaths in Suffolk and Norfolk. Bereaved families, carers, patients and NHS staff were among the protesters who yesterday attended the annual general meeting (AGM) of the trust that
A Campaign spokesperson said: “The decision of the Board of NSFT to remove the number of unexpected deaths from its Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16 is disgraceful. The number of NSFT patients dying unexpectedly increased by thirteen per cent in 2015-16 and continues to do so. Since April 2012, at least 572 NSFT patients have
Deaths Crisis: Is NSFT the mental health Mid Staffs? Read More »
Penny, a Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) carer, spoke on behalf of our campaign at the Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) of Norfolk County Council today: Thank you for the opportunity of addressing you on behalf of the Campaign about issues arising from the Verita report. I am the nearest relative
We have provided evidence to the Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (NHOSC) and hope that a carer and distinguished member of our campaign will be given the opportunity to speak. NSFT unexpected deaths is the first item on the agenda. Details of the meeting are here. A location map is at the bottom of
Tom Bristow of the Archant Investigations Unit reports: The region’s troubled mental health service has been accused of failing to learn from its mistakes after it emerged that nowhere in the country had more concerns raised about mental health deaths than Norfolk and Suffolk. Coroners have written to the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT)
EDP: Deaths at mental health service show lack of learning, says doctor Read More »
In an excellent letter to the Eastern Daily Press, Brian Watkins, Liberal Democrat county councillor for the Eaton Division of Norfolk County Council writes: It is deeply disturbing to learn that there has been a big increase in the number of patients under the care of the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust who have died unexpectedly. Despite repeated reassurances that the situation would be
EDP: Letter: Reasons for rise in unexpected deaths need to be established Read More »
Will Lodge of the East Anglian Daily Times reports: The death of an aspiring art student from the Essex/Suffolk border highlighted “systemic failings” and “weaknesses” in the Suffolk mental health trust, her family told an inquest. Hannah Noyce, who represented Miss Philo Powell’s parents at the inquest, told the court there were apparent “systemic failings”,
EADT: Death of Harriet Philo Powell highlighted ‘weaknesses’ in mental health care Read More »
The BBC reports: An NHS trust caring for mentally ill people in Norfolk and Suffolk is to carry out an independent review of unexplained deaths. Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) has appointed Verita to examine how the deaths are dealt with. The trust had 129 such deaths in 2014-15 – up from 61
BBC News: Investigation of mental health deaths in Norfolk and Suffolk to report in May Read More »
BBC News reports: An NHS mental health trust has announced it is commissioning an investigation into the rising number of unexpected deaths of patients. The Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust had 129 such deaths (2014-15) – up from 61 (2012-13) and higher than other mental health trusts in the UK. Michael Scott, chief executive
BBC News: Mental health deaths in Norfolk and Suffolk prompts investigation Read More »
Another astonishingly powerful front page from Nicholas Carding, Health Correspondent of the Eastern Daily Press, as part of its Mental Health Watch campaign. Buy a copy of the EDP and support the high quality local investigative journalism which is so important to our campaign. The article isn’t available online but you can buy an E-edition
EDP: Let’s hope lives can be saved Read More »
Tom Bristow of the EDP reports: An independent inquiry into the rise of unexpected deaths at the region’s mental health trust will be carried out after it emerged figures for Norfolk and Suffolk were the highest in the country. The announcement came on the same day as we revealed there were a total of 35
Matthew Gudgin of the BBC interviews a spokesperson for our campaign, former mental health minister Norman Lamb and the Chief Executive of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), Michael Scott. It is brilliant that both the BBC and the EDP are giving mental health the attention it deserves. Now NHS England, local health commissioners
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) plumbs the depths of infamy as the tragic and avoidable death of Christopher Higgins features in the current issue of Private Eye. The magazine cannot be read for free on the Internet but you can support investigative journalism by spending £1.80 on Issue 1409 at your local newsagent.
Nick Carding of the EDP reports exclusively: Campaigners say their “worst fears have been confirmed” after it emerged that the number of unexpected deaths of mental health patients in the region is continuing to rise. Figures published by the region’s mental health trust show more patients died unexpectedly in the first half of this financial
We challenged Gary Page, the Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), to publish NSFT’s data on unexpected deaths after his report to the NSFT Board stated he was “concerned” at the increase in unexpected community deaths from 95 in 2013-14 to 130 in 2014-15. On the same day Gary Page refused to publish,
