Trust 'determined' not to send mentally ill patients out of area

The trust is based at Hellesdon Hospital on the outskirts of Norwich

A mental health trust said it would no longer allow "frail and older" patients to be sent out of the county for care following the death of an 81-year-old.

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) said it was "determined nobody should have an experience" like Peggy Copeman, who died at the side of the M11 last year.

NFST revealed it had spent almost £7m on out-of-area beds in 2019-20.

Mrs Copeman's son-in-law said: "I just feel it was weak and pathetic."

The commitment was made during the trust's annual general meeting on Friday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Dr Dan Dalton, the trust's chief medical officer, said: "We have determined nobody, particularly no-one that is frail and older should ever go to an out of area placement again.

"(Not) without one of the executive team and a consultant psychiatrist saying that is the absolute, only thing that can be done for them."

'Legacy to live on'

Dr Dalton also apologised to Nick Fulcher, Mrs Copeman's son-in-law, who attended the virtual meeting.

But speaking afterwards, Mr Fulcher said: "They say it has to go through a psychiatrist before it happens. I'm not really interested in that.

"I'm more interested in what they're going to do. I want Peggy's legacy to live on."

The government has ordered the practice of sending patients out of county and far away from their homes to stop nationally by 2021.

Papers published ahead of the meeting also revealed 73% of the trust's spending had gone on staff, including £10.8m on agency workers.

Chief executive Jonathan Warren said recruitment was a priority and the trust's nursing vacancy rate was now the "lowest in the East of England".

He added: "We're starting to make some real progress on that."

NSFT trust was rated by health inspectors in January as requiring overall improvement.

However the Quality Care Commission rated it as "good" for its caring staff.

The mental health trust has been deemed "inadequate" three times since 2015.

The Care Quality Commission placed the trust in special measures in 2015