Patients under the care of the region's mental health trust were not sent to Mundesley Hospital for two weeks before its closure.

The private mental health hospital in north Norfolk closed suddenly on Friday, following an inspection report which branded it inadequate.

The hospital was often used by Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) when patients needed an inpatient bed, but there were not any available within the trust.

This had been described previously as a better alternative to sending patients out of the area.

But the trust stopped sending patients there after they were no longer assured of their safety and the 'small number' of patients remaining there - thought to be no more than five people - were transferred on Friday.

An NSFT spokesman said: 'We had been closely monitoring the situation at Mundesley since its recent CQC report was published, to ensure the continued safety of any of our patients who remained there. But we were no longer assured that remedial safety actions were being put in place quickly enough and so we took action. We informed the clinical commissioning groups of our decision on Thursday.

'When NSFT beds are at full capacity, we will be making as much use as possible of other mental health providers within our local area, such as Ellingham Hospital, near Attleborough.'

Ellingham Hospital, which is rated good by the Care Quality Commission, is run by the Priory Group.