Legal News

Protests against cuts to mental health budgets in Norfolk and Suffolk continue, as 12 campaigners completed a 52-mile walk on Thursday (03/04/14) to raise awareness of the issue.

The Eastern Daily Press (EDP) reports that the campaigners began their protest walk from the office of Conservative MP Ben Gummer in Ipswich and hiked to the office of Liberal Democrat MP Simon Wright in Norwich.

The EDP has been following the growing discontent among campaigners who are protesting about cuts to mental health services and beds being made by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).

Last November, it was reported that the trust had spent millions of pounds on sending some mental health patients needing acute care and special placements out the area for treatment. Some mental health patients treated by NSFT were sent to an acute care unit at Finsbury Park in north London.

It was also reported that mental health patients in Norfolk were waiting months for treatment – in some cases, up to 18 months.

The walkers from the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk started their 52-mile walk on 1 April and delivered letters detailing their concerns about the cuts being made to mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Norfolk County Councillor Emma Corlett from the public services trade union UNISON said:
“We met people who talked about their own mental health – and there was no one that did not have something to say about mental health.

“If someone who had a stroke had to be taken to the nearest hospital bed in Darlington, Somerset, Bradford, Manchester, Harrogate or Glasgow, MPs would be falling over themselves to call for urgent action.

“This is the reality for people in Suffolk and Norfolk experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

“The cuts and imposed re-organisation of services have left people facing unacceptable delays for assessment – and even lengthier delays awaiting allocation to a team for treatment.
“There are simply too many people to see and not enough staff to see them.”

The prospective Labour Party candidate for Norwich South, Clive Lewis, walked the route with campaigners and said:
“This was a fantastic team effort that had campaigners from Norfolk and Suffolk – and across the political divide – pulling together to achieve something special.

“What I also found touching was the support from so many members of the public along the way – so many had a story to tell us relating to mental health.

“Some spoke of how the service had helped them or members of their family – others how it had deteriorated as of late.
“But all spoke of their admiration for its staff.”

In February, it was reported that cuts to mental health budgets in Norfolk and Suffolk could mean 500 members of staff losing their jobs, according to senior psychiatrists working at the trust.

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of mental health solicitors and can advise mental health patients on issues such as access to mental health services and treatment reviews, where appropriate.

Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors frequently visit police stations and hospitals – and in some cases may be able to advise the next of kin or carer of a mental health patient on mental health law and a patient’s rights.

For expert help with mental health law, contact the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 0203 114 1124.