People in Suffolk and Thetford are to be asked for their views on the proposed merger of Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust with Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

A three-month public consultation starts on Friday 6 August 2010 into the plans, which would see one board governing a new NHS Foundation Trust to cover both counties.

Mark Halladay, chief executive of the Suffolk trust, said: “We think there could be significant clinical benefits and opportunities for staff development by operating as a larger organisation. For example, people currently needing more specialist treatment are sent out of the area to receive care. A larger Trust covering a larger population would be better placed to develop new services in the area and this could reduce the need to send people out of Norfolk and Suffolk.


“And as we would only have one board rather than two, we could share support functions. The money we could save on our running costs would, instead, be spent on healthcare services.”


“We think there are benefits to be had from a merger, but we want to hear what our staff, service users, members and general public think about the idea.”

Trust staff will be on hand to chat to members of the public about the merger proposal at two events taking place in Suffolk:

– Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum, Wednesday 25 August, 4pm-7pm
– Ipswich Respect Festival, Ipswich Town Hall, Saturday 25 September, 12noon-5pm

People will be asked what they think of the plans and whether they have any points or concerns that they would like health managers to consider.

A full consultation document and feedback form is available on the Suffolk trust’s website www.smhp.nhs.uk or by calling 01473 329148.

Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust has already signed up 7,000 public members as part of its commitment to becoming an NHS Foundation Trust. If the merger were to go ahead, those members would transfer to the new organisation, unless they preferred to opt out of this arrangement. Each Foundation Trust member is being written to with details of the merger plans.

Norfolk Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust will be carrying out a period of public engagement over the same three-month period.

This link will take you straight to the merger consultation page on the Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust website: http://www.smhp.nhs.uk/Werelistening/Mergerconsultation6thAugustto31stOctober/tabid/2742/Default.aspx

Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust works in partnership to provide mental health services to people in the county of Suffolk, with the exclusion of Waveney, and in the town of Thetford in Norfolk. It also provides substance misuse services and learning disability services to the county of Suffolk.
Its website is at www.smhp.nhs.uk

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust achieved Foundation Trust status in February 2008 and provides mental health services to the people of Norfolk (with the exclusion of Thetford) and to the Waveney area of Suffolk. It also provides alcohol and drugs services to the same area, with the inclusion of Thetford.