Norfolk and Suffolk MPs meeting to discuss future of mental health trust
It comes after over 140 doctors at the provider wrote to the organisation's chairman saying they 'lack confidence' in it leadership
Some of our MPs are meeting with a government minister and the Care Quality Commission to discuss the future of the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust.
The meeting's been in the diary since local mental health campaigners went to Parliament in early July.
But it now has a renewed importance since more than 140 doctors at the mental health provider wrote to the organisation's chairman saying they 'lack confidence' in its leadership.
"There must be hundreds of employees who equally feel as these people do"
Duncan Baker is the MP for North Norfolk and will be attending the event.
He told us there's only one thing that can and should happen to the provider now: "I can't see any other circumstance where there won't be direct control now being required by the Government.
"We were given assurances that it was the sixth month window for the CQC to come back and inspect again after the Trust was deemed inadequate- at this moment in time with the information that we have been presented with, I can't see any other way.
"I think this is all absolutely unprecedented. I can't remember a time where a health profession would have seen that many people who are the very people, who are trying to help ill individuals at the moment, write such a letter.
"What it says to me is, this is just the doctors, there must be hundreds of employees who equally feel as these people do."
"That is something that will not happen overnight"
Mr Baker also agrees with activists that a independent statutory public inquiry into the provider is now needed: "I mean if you had lost a loved one, perhaps a son or daughter, then you have quite a legitimate request to want to understand the circumstances.
"With the numbers of people who have passed away, then I can't see how anybody would say that not giving them the right to a public inquiry was not a sensible thing to do."
He went to say that mental providers need better support- to avoid a repetition of this elsewhere: "It needs more investment, it needs more training, but it also needs absolute support where required to make sure that this situation that has occurred in this trust, can't happen again and elsewhere, as well.
"That is something that will not happen overnight. Rural areas like Norfolk and Suffolk may look idyllic on the outside, but there are a great number of people who need a great deal of help, on the inside."
What have our other MPs been saying about this?
We reached out to all of Norfolk and Suffolk's MPs for comment, but the vast majority of them were unavailable for comment.
A spokesperson for Matt Hancock, the MP for West Suffolk said: “Matt has long thought NSFT is too big to manage. It needs to be broken up so vital services can be delivered closer to the patients who so desperately need them.
"There’s no need for a public inquiry, and no time: we need to get on with this work now. It’s crystal clear what needs to happen."
What have the Trust said?
Cath Byford is Deputy Chief Executive at NSFT. She said: “We share the concerns raised by our medical colleagues. We value their views and are committed to working closely with them as we continue to make improvements on behalf of our service users and their families.
“One of our new Chief Medical Officer’s top priorities is to engage fully with our medical staff to make sure they are given every opportunity to make a valuable contribution to these improvements.”