Summary

  • Updates on Friday, 10 February 2017

  • £50m of cocaine found on Norfolk beaches

  • Under-pressure hospital cancels 300 ops in last three months of 2016

  • Axe hangs over more than 150 jobs in poultry firm restructure

  • Farmer heads to Brussels to challenge plan to keep free range poultry enclosed

  • Liberal Democrat Marion Millership tops by-election poll at Waterside

  1. Unexpected deaths at mental health trust almost doublepublished at 09:34 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    Last month the prime minister made a major speech, saying how she planned to improve mental health services.

    Theresa May also said that there's not enough help for those suffering from mental health problems. 

    Mental health trusts have been seeing reductions in their budgets. The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, external was the first in the country to implement a major restructure in 2013. 

    Frontline community teams were disbanded, and experienced staff laid off.

    The trust closed 136 beds, which means patients are still being sent hundreds of miles away to get a bed, despite promises to stop the practice. 

    It also means more people are being treated in the community.

    Over the same four-year period, the number of unexpected deaths almost doubled. 

    Other trusts across the country are also thinking about restructuring their services.

    Richard Murray, from The King's Fund charity, external, says the mistakes made by the Norfolk and Suffolk Trust should serve as a warning.

    Richard Murray, in dark grey suit, light grey shirt and striped grey tie, wearing glasses
    Quote Message

    There are warning signs from Norfolk and Suffolk, and other parts of England, about making major transformations very quickly that are radical and sometimes not on the most solid of evidence bases, sometimes with the real goal to save money... this is really a warning."

    Richard Murray, The King's Fund

  2. Happy Monday: Meet the nine-minute 'miracle' babypublished at 09:17 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    Helen Burchell
    BBC News

    This is eight-day-old Daphne-Louise Walker, born after paramedics and air ambulance staff had just nine minutes to save her life. 

    Daphne-Louise WalkerImage source, Walker Family

    Medics went "above and beyond to make sure my daughter survived", mum and dad Shona Fordham and Jamie Walker, from Friday Bridge, said.

    Their "little miracle baby" was born on 29 January after her mum went into labour at home and had an umbilical prolapse. This meant the baby's oxygen supply was at risk of being cut off. 

    First responders were on the scene within four minutes, followed by a Magpas air ambulance crew and paramedics.

    Daphne-Louise WalkerImage source, Walker Family

    "If they had not taken the actions they did at home, the oxygen supply from the cord - which they had to unkink - would have been cut off... one of the midwives told me after nine minutes she would have suffocated," said Ms Fordham.  

    She was rushed to hospital in King's Lynn, where baby Daphne-Louise was safely born.

    We'll bring you more on this story later.

  3. Mental health trust 'on a journey of improvement'published at 09:07 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    The chief executive of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, external admits mistakes were made with the reorganisation of services in the past.

    A BBC Panorama investigation shows the mental health service closed almost 25% of its beds in four years.

    Entrance to the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust in Norwich

    The trust says it's spending money to put things right. It also says it's on a journey of improvement, and that new money is coming through from the government to improve services.  

    Quote Message

    We have 4,000 staff and we've worked hard to engage them in transforming services. New money is coming specifically for mental health and we welcome that focus - it's long overdue."

    Michael Scott, Chief executive, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

  4. Mistakes of mental health trust should be a warningpublished at 08:40 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    An exclusive investigation by BBC's Panorama has found that the NHS mental health trust running services in Norfolk and Suffolk has closed almost a quarter of its beds in four years.

    Sign for the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust at Hellesdon Hospital

    The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, external says it did it in response to a 20% savings target. But over the same period, the number of unexpected deaths almost doubled.

    The King's Fund, external, which describes itself as an "independent charity working to improve health and care" says the mistakes made should be a warning to other mental health trusts across England.

    You can see Panorama on BBC One at 20:30 tonight.

  5. Man arrested on suspicion of murderpublished at 08:12 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    Caroline Kingdon
    BBC Local Live

    A murder investigation is under way following the death of a man in the Toftwood area of Dereham.

    Police were called to an address in Boyd Avenue shortly after 15:20 yesterday, where they found the body of a man in his 60s.

    A man in his 40s, from the Dereham area, has been arrested and is in custody.

  6. Monday's weather: Cloudy at first, brighter laterpublished at 08:08 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    Kate Kinsella
    BBC Look East weather

    It's a rather grey start for many of us this morning, although there are clearer skies out towards the west where we will have a bit of sunshine. 

    There's a bit of mist and fog out there as well - that will gradually lift as the cloud moves away.

    We may get a spot of rain out towards the east coast but for most places there'll be sunshine throughout the afternoon and a top temperature of 7C (45F).

    Get my full BBC East regional forecast here:

    For more detail where you are, visit BBC Weather.

  7. Good morning from Norfolk Livepublished at 08:00 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    Caroline Kingdon
    BBC Local Live

    Hello and thanks for joining us at the start of a new week on Norfolk Live.

    The stories making the news in Norfolk today - a murder investigation is under way in Toftwood, plus an investigation by BBC's Panorama has found the mental health trust running services in the county closed almost a quarter of its beds in four years.  

    If you've a story, or a photo, that you'd like to share you can get in touch in the usual ways - send a email or a tweet, external, or via Facebook, external.

  8. Murder arrest after body found in housepublished at 07:55 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2017

    Police believe the body of the man could have been in the house for several days before it was discovered.

    Read More