WIREDGOV

Two NHS foundation trusts in East Anglia have agreed measures to improve the care they provide patients and the way they are run.

Special measures support for Norfolk and Suffolk foundation trust

Monitor has arranged for a leading mental health NHS foundation trust to help Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which is in special measures.

Staff from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will now work with Norfolk and Suffolk to improve its services and staffing levels.

Access to this advice and expertise will enable Norfolk and Suffolk to adopt best practice and support the significant changes in care needed for its mental health and learning disability patients.

Norfolk and Suffolk will work closely with Monitor to make sure the partnership with Nottinghamshire is working well for patients.

Norfolk and Norwich foundation trust to reduce waiting times

Monitor has also taken action to improve services for patients and strengthen the leadership of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Norfolk and Norwich has agreed legally binding steps with Monitor to help it reduce waiting times for A&E, routine operations and cancer care patients.

As a result, Norfolk and Norwich will now:

• create and implement an operational improvement plan
• develop and deliver a robust long-term strategic plan

Norfolk and Norwich has agreed to develop these plans with other care organisations in the local health economy.

Monitor added a further condition to the trust’s licence to require an improvement in the effectiveness of the trust’s board. This will enable the regulator to take further action if necessary.

The intervention follows an investigation into the trust’s performance number of national waiting time targets; and concerns over the effectiveness of its board.