Over 140 medics sign letter saying they 'lack confidence' in Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust
It claims services at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust are unsafe and doctors are having to cope with huge workloads
More than 140 medics at a local mental health provider have written to it's chairman saying they 'lack confidence' in the organisation's leadership.
The letter claims that services at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust are unsafe and doctors are having to cope with huge workloads.
"What it reveals, is what we already know"
Mark Harrison is from the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk & Suffolk.
He says broad and wide-reaching change is needed now- in the name of patient safety:
"If they had any ounce of honesty and integrity they would all resign- but we seem to stuck in a world where you create the mess and then you deny everything and refuse to take responsibility. There isn't the leadership in the NHS bureaucracy, to hold these people to account".
"What it reveals, is what we already know and what has been revealed in the CQC reports, is that there is a bullying culture. The trust isn't clinically-led, it's led by a cabal of bullying manager who don't have patient safety and patient interests at the heart of what they do".
"Staff in the Trust, have the best interests of patients at hearts"
Mr Harrison went on to say that those who work at the trust deserve better:
"What's clear is that the medical staff and all those staff in the Trust, have the best interests of patients at hearts and it's the small cabal of bureaucrats at the top, these NHS managers and governors that aren't up the job- they don't have the skills required".
"If she fails to act and fails to get behind the call"
He told us that Gillian Keegan, the minister for care and mental health and others must now act:
"She knows the seriousness of the problem, she knows the numbers of deaths that are occurring, if she fails to act she is part of the problem. The same with Patricia Hewitt and the heads of the local health body, if she fails to act and fails to get behind the call for the trust to be disbanded and put into special administration- she is part of the problem".
What have the Trust said in response?
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.”