Campaigners seeking to reform the region's failing mental health trust were met by 'disappointment' when they took to Westminster to lobby MPs and ministers in Parliament.

Members of the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk demanded a public inquiry into the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).

Setting off from Norwich station early in the morning on Tuesday, July 5, the group staged a demonstration before taking the train to London.

The NSFT was placed into special measures earlier this year and has previously been rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission four times.

A campaign spokesman said they were lobbying Parliament to call for an independent enquiry to establish "how many people had lost their lives and why the wider system has failed the citizens of Norfolk and Suffolk".

Anne Humphrys, a family carer from Ipswich, said the wider meeting with the five Norfolk and Suffolk MPs and minister for mental health and care Gillian Keegan was a "disappointment".

She added: "All credit to the minister for mental health who could only stay 25 minutes and ended up staying 45 minutes. However, there wasn't any commitment made to action, apart from another meeting between ministers and MPs on Thursday which was already diarised anyway."

She did, however, applaud her meeting with Ipswich MP Tom Hunt who said: "It would have been impossible to have attended that meeting without coming out of it with your eyes wide open about the drastic need for radical change."

He said the NSFT management have failed to turn the situation around and added: "This is about whether or not I trust the organisation with the lives of some of the most vulnerable people within my constituency. The honest answer is that I don't.

"My sense is that NSFT cannot continue to exist in its current form. The organisation seems too broken, and the culture too toxic."

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter is a practising NHS mental health doctor and said: "I was very sorry to hear of the distress experienced by yet more families when I met with them today and shall continue to press the government to support improvements in quality of care for mental health patients in our area."

Waveney MP Peter Aldous said he will be attending the meeting with the minister for mental health and care on Thursday.

He added: "Next Monday, I'm meeting the Trust when I shall obtain an update on their ongoing work to address the concerns that so many people have."

Stuart Richardson, chief executive of NSFT, said: “We have already taken action to improve, including increasing support and training for our staff, redoubling our efforts to recruit more nurses and doctors and bringing services closer to people’s homes through our community transformation projects.

“However, we recognise there is more to do and are continuing to work closely with our patients, service users, staff and partners to drive sustainable improvements and build strong foundations for the future."

If you need urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and select option 2 or the Samaritans on 116 123. Both services are available for 24 hours, 7 days a week.