NSFT currently has five areas of focus for clinical transformation which are:

Community Mental Health

Crisis Pathway

Inpatient (adult)

Child Family and Young Persons

Older Persons

Each clinical transformation programme will aim to deliver:

• Reduction in unwarranted variation across the Trust area; standardised services that meet local needs
• Improved access to services through reduction in waiting times and faster response times for care and treatment
• Reduction in health inequalities across services
• Improved experiences for services users, families and carers
• Provision of care closer to home e.g. reduction in inappropriate out of area placements
• More efficient care provision, developed in collaboration with our VCSE partners
• Service models that closely align with best practice and nationally agreed clinical standards which may result in accredited models of care delivery.

We provide most Neurodevelopmental Services in Suffolk and adult ADHD services in Norfolk.

• We have seen a significant increase in demand that outstrips our capacity causing waiting lists to grow.
• Around 50% of referrals we receive do not meet the evidence-based criteria for assessment and treatment.
• This is a national issue that has been recognised in the recent national ADHD Taskforce report, and we are working closely with our system partners including commissioners, primary care and education partners.
• Actions we are identifying to reduce waiting times throughout this year, include:
  • Taking a needs led approach, instead of first come first serve.
  • Improving the efficacy of the team through the use of digital teams and redesigning roles and responsibilities.
  • Working with our system partners to develop a stepped care model that uses primary care, VCSE, schools, and social care

• The Trust is developing a new health inequalities strategy with a specific focus on neighbourhood working, suicide prevention and physical health to strengthen our prevention approach and ensure support for our most deprived communities.
• Research and population health data will inform and support clinical transformation and service improvement.
• Proactive engagement with communities, service users and carers
• We will work collaboratively with system partners to develop the strategy and will engage with service users, carers, staff and partners in the coming months.
• Clinical engagement will be essential as this may lead to changes in clinical principles and practice.

• To make sure our corporate services are of high quality and can effectively support our clinical staff to deliver better outcomes for service users, carers and families.
• To make sure they align and integrate much more closely with our five clinical localities.
• To be more efficient and make processes more streamlined and consistent.
• To deliver a structure that supports career development and opportunities within NSFT.

Well-Led Inspection (May 2025):

• Staff described as passionate, committed, and seeing improvements.
• New governance and locality model seen as a strong foundation but more to do to embed
• Stakeholder relationships significantly improved.
• Cultural improvements have been recognised, but more work is needed to ensure all staff feel confident using Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) processes.
• Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) remains a priority, with a focus on progressing the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF).

Clinical Services Assessment  (March 2025):

• Focused on Adult CMHTs, Crisis Teams, and HBPoS across five localities.
• Staff were praised for being respectful, caring, and welcoming.
• Positive examples of teamworking and innovation noted.
• Early signs of impact from leadership and governance changes.
• All recommendations are being actively progressed.

• Chief Patient Experience Officer Appointed
• New Service User and Carer Council and plan for five Locality Councils
• Chair of the Service User and Carer Council will attend Board meetings
• Co-production partner commissioned (Rethink)
• Relationship building with Campaign to save mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk
• Development and engagement on the Trust’s first Carers Charter

Friends and Family Test response improvements

Feedback has improved:

Very good/good:

• Apr 2023 – 63%
• June 2025 – 84%

Very poor/poor

• Apr 2023 – 28%
• June 2025 – 6%

Response rates are as follows:

• 2023/4: 3739
• 2024/5: 5570 – a 49% increase in responses

• 100% increase in capacity for memory assessments, reducing waiting times
• Increased the take up of clinical supervision from 30% to 71%.
• Healthcare Support Worker recruitment – streamlined from 6 weeks to only 14 days.
• Introducing a GP Advice Line and text messaging updates for service users

LiA Quick Wins – Since March 2024

• Over 170 Quick Wins

LiA Pioneer Wave 1 and 2 Teams

• 33 Pioneer Teams, plus 11 care delivery teams

LiA teams

• Pulse check results up to 32% higher than all other responders

Senior leaders

• Leadership Audit results showing improvement for senior leaders

• Race equality deep diagnostic report completed by Excellence in Action.
• Race Equity Conference – held on 20 May 2025 with over 200 colleagues in attendance
• Race Equity Strategic Plan – to be agreed at Trust Board in July.

“This was not just another event, stories of people, their truth, vulnerability, courage, and humanity. No other event has cut through my heart, finer or deeper. It matters when the Executive Team doesn’t just speak values but models them. That’s what I saw today. And that is what makes me believe that the future of NSFT is one of equity and belonging.”

Samuel Jude, Community Team Manager

• A net increase of 110 nurses over the last 12 months.
• Nursing vacancy level lowest in five years – down from 20% to 14%.
• Successful newly qualified nurse recruitment campaign – with 80 mental health nurses due to be offered roles across the Trust this year.
• NHS Staff Survey 2024 – still much to do
• Medical vacancy rate has reduced from 22% in 2020 to 12% in March 2025.
• Our overall staff turnover reduced from 17% to 12% in last 2 years.
• New monthly TALK Awards launched in April – 340 nominations

Over 100 resident doctors with a very positive experience:

• Teamworking – NSFT92% vs 76% national average
• Teaching and Learning – NSFT 82% vs 67% national average
• Quality of Care – NSFT 84% vs 73% national average

Safer Kinder Better Awards 2024

• Over 630 nominations.
• 50 finalists celebrated at awards event for 300 colleagues, service users and carers, partners and sponsors.