Norwich MP calls on government to take control of Norfolk & Suffolk mental health services
It's after Norfolk and Suffolk's Mental Health Trust was given an 'inadequate' rating by the Care Quality Commission
Last updated 3rd May 2022
A Norwich MP has written to Government, calling on them to take direct control of Norfolk and Suffolk's Mental Health Trust.
After they were given an 'inadequate' rating from the Care Quality Commission for the fourth time
Clive Lewis is the first local MP to call for this action and he's also wants the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid is re-design the service from the ground up with help from the local health community.
He raised the issue in the House of Commons earlier today, following nearly 1,000 avoidable mental illness-related deaths.
Mr Lewis told us why he no longer has confidence in decision-makers over here and how a policy overhaul is central to any progress:
"The current chairperson is someone genuine and passionate about their want to see the service turn around. But, I've met others that I believe are genuine, but they haven't be able to deliver and what we see with the local management is a conveyor belt of failure. One set of managers and executives move out of the way to be replaced by someone else whose turn it is to step up, take that fat salary and then deliver failure".
"Until we actually invest in our mental health services and actually listen to patients, staff and build up from the bottom I don't see change happening any time very quickly. That's what needs to happen and until that point, I'm afraid to say that people like me and the NSFT Crisis group will be campaigning to make sure that does happen".
Nothing else aside from direct control will do. Frankly, I'm not going to listen to the excuses of the Trust because I've listened to them for too long, as have my constituents and those who have been let down. I'm pretty angry about this. This can't just be swept under the carpet for another year and another set of failures".
He told us why staff should be at the heart of any change:
"They got a green light for the CQC, everything else was a failure. So, build it with them and the patients and maybe we'll get a mental health care system in Norwich that actually works for people. But, I don't think we're going to find any answers from the same failed group of people who have let my constituents down".
"We have already taken action that will help us improve"
Stuart Richardson is the Chief Executive Officer at NSFT said: “We fully accept the areas that the CQC say need to improve.
“The people of Norfolk and Suffolk deserve good quality mental health services and we are committed to achieving this. People have worked tirelessly to keep services open during the pandemic and I want to thank all my colleagues for their hard work.
“We recognise that we have not made the expected progress in some key areas, and I am deeply sorry for this and the impact this will have had on people who need support with their mental health.
"We have already taken action that will help us improve, including increasing support and training for our staff, redoubling our efforts to recruit more nurses and doctors, and bringing services closer to people’s homes through our community transformation projects.”