New data has revealed the number of doctors at the region's mental health trust has shrunk over the last five years - whilst the number of managers has risen.

Eastern Daily Press: Julie Cave, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) chief executive. Photo: NSFTJulie Cave, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) chief executive. Photo: NSFT (Image: NSFT)

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSIC) showed in July 2017 there were 20.3pc fewer doctors at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) than in July 2012. But there were 52.7pc more managers.

But NSFT chief executive Julie Cave disputed the data.

HSIC data shows over the five year period the number of consultants dropped by 16.7pc, specialty and associate specialist numbers fell by 36.3pc, and the total number of junior doctors was 13.5pc down.

The figures showed 20.7pc fewer qualified nurses, midwives or health visitors. Meanwhile, the number of managers jumped from 82 in 2012, to 125 in 2017.

Eastern Daily Press: Mental health. Pictured: A man looks through a window. Picture: Newscast OnlineMental health. Pictured: A man looks through a window. Picture: Newscast Online (Image: Newscast Online)

However, Mrs Cave said NSFT data showed between March 2013 and March 2017, a 2.13pc decrease in doctors, a 15pc drop in nurses and a 23.5pc drop in managers. She also said the number of unregistered clinical support staff has increased by 6pc.

Mrs Cave said: 'The classifications of NHS staffing have changed over time so trying to draw direct comparisons over lengthy periods from raw data does not necessarily reflect a true picture. The data on the website is covered with the following caveat: 'It has a provisional status as the data may change slightly over time where trusts make updates to their live operational systems'. We had a number of senior clinical leadership roles classified as managers. We have reviewed our data to ensure consistency with the latest national definitions.'

She added the figures would not include bank or agency workers, or doctors on mental health placements from other trusts.

However, a spokesman for the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk, said: 'Since 2013, we have repeatedly warned about the increasing number of managers employed at NSFT as mental health services have been savagely cut. But the NHS payroll information is worse than we could have imagined. The NHS managers responsible for mental health services seems to believe that doctors, nurses and patients are inconvenient costs and that the solution to a problem is always another manager or to cut front line staffing and services.'

Eastern Daily Press: Mental health. Pictured: A young man experiencing depression sits by a window. Picture: Newscast OnlineMental health. Pictured: A young man experiencing depression sits by a window. Picture: Newscast Online (Image: Newscast Online)

It comes as nationally, the Health Foundation found although the overall NHS workforce increased by 2pc in the year to April 2017, managers had the highest rate of growth with a 4.3pc rise.

Across the country there was a continued growth in hospital-based doctors but the number of GPs and nurses plummeted. At other NHS trusts in our region:

• At James Paget University Hospital, in Gorleston, there were 2pc more doctors, 11pc fewer nurses, and 7pc fewer managers.

• At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, there were 6pc more doctors, 12pc fewer nurses, and 9pc fewer managers.

Eastern Daily Press: Mental health. Pictured: A young woman suffering from depression is consoled by her friend. Picture: Newscast OnlineMental health. Pictured: A young woman suffering from depression is consoled by her friend. Picture: Newscast Online (Image: Newscast Online)

• At the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King's Lynn, there were 5pc fewer doctors, 10pc fewer nurses, and 11pc fewer managers.

• At Norfolk Community Health and Care there were 3pc more doctors, 12pc fewer nurses, and 7pc fewer managers.

But Mrs Cave said the roles needed in mental health were different. She said: 'Mental health and physical health trusts cannot be compared like-for-like.

'NHS Coding does not always fit mental health job roles. In mental health the key clinical roles are not necessarily nurses or doctors roles. A large number of staff are psychologists and psychotherapists, social workers, for example, who may be neither a nurse nor a doctor.

'Traditional nursing functions are increasingly successfully undertaken now by an expanding range of other professional and qualified staff. This frees up the nurses and doctors for work which specifically requires their skills.'

She pointed to roles such as allied health professionals, who Mrs Cave said are 'vital in providing appropriate care to our service users'.

However, a spokesman for the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk said: 'Across the other NHS trusts in Norfolk, the number of doctors has risen by 2.9pc while the number of managers has fallen by 9.3pc. NSFT now has 67pc more managers than the Norfolk and Norwich, a university teaching hospital with three times the turnover, nearly twice as many qualified nurses and more than five times as many doctors. While NSFT has 30 senior managers, the N&N has 12. NSFT employs 1.3 doctors for every manager, while the N&N employs 12.25 doctors for every manager. This pattern is repeated across Norfolk, with NSFT having more managers than the James Paget and Queen Elizabeth hospitals combined.'