A man who was previously an in-patient at Hellesdon Hospital, run by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), was found sleeping rough in the grounds of the hospital using a tent. Although he is currently under the care of the trust’s community team, he had been an in-patient at the hospital several months earlier. Staff at the hospital were informed about his presence and urged not to approach him while he stayed in the grounds for up to two weeks before moving. The situation has raised safeguarding concerns about the trust, which has struggled with poor performance and has received an “inadequate” rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) four times in six years.
Campaigners have questioned why the man was allowed to leave the hospital without assurances that he had somewhere safe to go. Mark Harrison, chairman of the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services, criticized the trust for its unsafe discharges, calling the NSFT “institutionally dysfunctional.” He called for more action than simply replacing the chief executive, emphasizing the need for comprehensive changes to improve the trust’s functionality. In response, a spokesman for NSFT stated that it is not appropriate to comment on an individual’s care for the safety and privacy of the patients. They also emphasized the trust’s rigorous security and safety measures across its sites to ensure the highest standards of safety for patients, staff, and other service users.
The NSFT is under scrutiny after a man who was previously an in-patient at Hellesdon Hospital was found sleeping rough in the hospital’s grounds. Despite being under the care of the trust’s community team, the man was found using a tent in the hospital grounds for up to two weeks. The situation has raised concerns about the trust’s handling of its patients, as it has struggled with poor performance and has been rated as “inadequate” by the CQC multiple times. Campaigners have criticized the trust for allowing unsafe discharges, emphasizing the need for comprehensive changes to improve the trust’s functionality. In response, the NSFT spokesman emphasized the trust’s rigorous security and safety measures and stated that the care and treatment of those in the community is a top priority.
The man’s presence in the hospital grounds has led to safeguarding questions being asked of the NSFT, which has struggled with poor performance and has been rated “inadequate” by the CQC multiple times. Campaigners have criticized the trust for its handling of the situation, urging comprehensive changes to improve its functionality. In response, the NSFT spokesman emphasized the trust’s rigorous security and safety measures across its sites and stated that the care and treatment of those in the community is one of the trust’s top priorities. If there are any concerns, the public can contact the trust’s customer services team for support via their website.
