Mental health trust exits special measures status

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust's chief executive, Caroline Donovan, said "we recognise there is still much more to do"

A mental health trust that was once the worst performing in the country has been removed from its "special measures" status after more than seven years, following improvements.

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) said it had exited the Recovery Support Programme that helps failing providers.

The decision followed a period of sustained improvement, said NHS England, and the trust's chair Zoe Billingham said it had "achieved stability".

However, campaigners for better mental health care have questioned the decision.

The trust, which is headquartered in Hellesdon, Norwich, was the first of its type to receive extra support back in 2015 when it was placed in "special measures" - the precursor to the Recovery Support Programme.

This grade was removed the following year, but the trust returned to special measures in 2017 because of its poor performance.

NSFT had been rated "inadequate" on four occasions in eight years by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors, with its most recent rating in February 2023 stating it "requires improvement".

The trust will work with regional partners to continue improving, said NHS England

Ms Billingham said: "We have now achieved stability; we have a clear plan; the means for delivery; and the belief that we can change NSFT once and for all, for the better."

Caroline Donovan, chief executive at the trust, added: "There truly is so much that has been achieved by everyone last year and so much to feel optimistic about in 2025.

"We can see the impact on service users already, with more positive comments about our services; our friends and family test results have improved; waiting times have significantly reduced in some areas; and our performance is improving."

NSFT will move from mandated national intensive support to mandated regional support and oversight.

Clare Panniker, regional director for NHS England, said it was "positive news" for patients, but there was still much work to do.

"NHS England will ensure that these improvements are built upon at pace to further improve the service NSFT provide," she said.

Campaigner Mark Harrison said he had "no confidence" in the mental health trust

Chair of the NSFT Crisis Campaign, Mark Harrison, said: "The campaign has no confidence in NHS England as they have presided over 12 years of failing mental health services.

"We don't understand how NSFT can be released from the Recovery Support Programme ahead of an independent inspection from the CQC."

The CQC said NHS England could include its previous reports when removing trusts from the programme. NSFT said it had completed 100% of the CQCs "must do" actions.

The trust said it reviewed 12,503 deaths that had occurred between April 2019 to April 2023, and found just over 420 people died from unexplained unnatural deaths during this period.

There are no national mortality figures for England to compare the figure to.

It also "believes that NSFT are not an outlier across mental health trusts throughout the country".

Of the unexplained unnatural deaths, the predominate demographic is males between the ages of 40 to 50.

In a joint statement, the Labour MPs for Norwich North and Ipswich, Alice Macdonald and Jack Abbott, said: "For the best part of a decade, the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has failed thousands of people, with terrible consequences.

"This news that NSFT has left special measures marks some welcome progress, but the challenge for NSFT is now to ensure this is a first step towards sustained, long-term improvement."

The statement continued: "It remains the case that many people in our region are yet to feel this progress in their lived experience of mental health care, with many still recounting tragic personal stories of institutional failure."