Campaigners fighting to improve mental health services in the region are set for a week of crunch talks and demonstrations as they strive to make their voices heard.

The Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk travelled to Westminster on Monday to meet with new MPs for the first time since the general election.

Members of the campaign, which was founded more than a decade ago, met with ministers and MPs from both counties on Monday - before staging a demonstration outside Portcullis House, where many parliamentarians have their offices.

The demonstration echoed the same trip campaigners made two years ago - and again in March this year - as they call for a statutory public inquiry into mental health deaths in the region.

Mark Harrison, the campaign's chairman, said: "The issues we raise as a campaign have so often been referred to by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, MPS and those with power to contribute to change as 'historic'.

"Our research demonstrates these are present and ongoing and without an injection of funding and decisive, bold action, Norfolk and Suffolk will continue to lose individuals to completely unnecessary and preventable deaths - and families will continue to lose loved ones."

The Westminster visit was the first part of a week of action from the campaign - which will also see representatives meet with the regulators and health bosses throughout the week.

They are due to see representatives from the Care Quality Commission and the NHS England - as well as the Suffolk and North East Essex integrated care board (ICB.)

They also plan to demonstrate ahead of a meeting of the Norfolk and Waveney ICB.

Mr Harrison added: "People in mental distress in Norfolk and Suffolk and still finding it incredibly difficult to get a service or a bed if they need one."

Trust's response

(Image: NSFT)

Cath Byford, deputy chief executive Officer at NSFT, said: “We continue to work with service users, carers, families and campaign groups as we progress with our improvement journey and ambition to provide safer, kinder, better care. 

“We meet regularly with the campaign committee and our most recent meeting was in mid-October, with a further meeting arranged for January.

"Campaign committee members are involved in our learning from deaths work, helping the Trust to improve future patient care and services.

"We continue to work closely with them and have found the feedback and insight they have given to our improvement work to help shape future services valuable. 

“We know there is still much more work to be done to improve how we deliver care and services, and we are committed to making the necessary changes to ensure that we provide compassionate and effective support to all those who rely on our services.”