First dedicated mental health unit for mothers and babies to open in the region

One of just three new units in the country

Jessica Bannister and family. New mothers with serious mental health problems will be able to receive specialist inpatient help closer to home as the regions mental health trust is set to open the areas first dedicated mother and baby mental health unit.

New mothers with serious mental health problems will be able to receive specialist inpatient help closer to home when Norfolk and Suffolk NHS FT opens the region’s first dedicated mother and baby mental health unit.

The eight-bed unit – which will ensure mums and their newborns can stay together while the mother is receiving acute psychiatric care – will be based at Hellesdon Hospital, in Norwich. Due to open in 2018, it will take referrals from across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, as well as other parts of the country.

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Crowds gather in Norwich city centre to join March for Mental Health

Large crowds were drawn to today’s March for Mental Health in Norwich.

Photo by Andrew Day.

Hundreds of people of all ages gathered in Norwich city centre to add their voices to the call for better mental health services and to protest against cuts to the NHS.

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Drop-in centre launched for north Norfolk cancer patients and their families

North Norfolk Cancer Support Drop-in Centre founders (from left): Jo Haywood, Judith Miller and Diane Evans. Photo: KAREN BETHELL

A drop-in group for people living with cancer has been launched at Sheringham.

With a start-up grant from a local singing group and the backing of Macmillan Cancer Support.

The drop-in was the idea of Macmillan North Norfolk fundraising team members Diane Evans, Judith Miller and Jo Haywood, who, concerned about the limited support available to cancer sufferers and their families in the area, decided to take action.

Mrs Evans, who is a founder member of Sheringham women’s social and charity group Sisters in Spirit, which has raised upwards of £10,000, hoped the new group would bridge the gap between treatment and support.

“Talking to people, one of the things we heard over and over was that they couldn’t get a Macmillan nurse,” Mrs Evans explained. “But, realistically, with so many people affected that is an impossibility, so we felt there was a real need to offer something more visible in north Norfolk.