Suffolk mother says 'failing' mental health trust care 'a nightmare'

Care given to a teenager by the first mental health trust to go into special measures has been a "nightmare", her mother has said.

Liz Wormald, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, said the service from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), was "not good".

She said, her 15-year-old daughter, Holly, has tried to take her own life.

The trust said it was "looking into the issues" and was "committed to improving the service".

NSFT was branded the worst-performing mental health trust in England after it was rated "inadequate" three times by the Care Quality Commission in recent years.

After a board meeting, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Wormald, 39, said Holly has been left without a care plan during lockdown, after using the trust's services for two years.

"The communication from NSFT and the way some staff conduct themselves is not good".

She said only by calling the service has she been able to find out what was happening to her daughter, who tried to take her own life, during lockdown.

"It's been a nightmare".

She said the only plan was "to take her to the hospital" and that was "not good enough".

"I felt a big responsibility to keep her safe. Where is the support for families? There's no other support," she added.

"I'm just trying to keep her alive."

Mason Fitzgerald, deputy chief executive at NSFT, said: "I have spoken with Ms Wormald to listen to her concerns and have been looking into the issues she has raised.

"We are committed to improving the service we offer to children and young people and are putting in place changes which will, I believe, bring about the improvements that our local communities deserve."

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