NHSE said NSFT would move from segment 4 (mandated national intensive support) of the Recovery Support Programme to segment 3 (mandated regional support and oversight) following a sustained period of improvement.

Caroline Donovan, chief executive at NSFT, said: ‘This is a milestone in our improvement journey at the trust. There truly is so much that has been achieved by everyone last year and so much to feel optimistic about in 2025. 

‘We can see the impact on service users already, with more positive comments about our services, our friends and family test results have improved, wating times have significantly reduced in some areas, and our performance is improving.

‘We do, however, have so much more still to do - our challenge now is to maintain the pace of improvement and ensure it is embedded. I am very grateful to our partners across our local systems and our regional NHS colleagues for their ongoing support.'

Clare Panniker, regional director for NHS England, said: ‘This is positive news for our patients. While there is much work still to do, the improvements recognised here come as result of hard work to tackle the long-standing issues faced by NSFT.

‘NHS England will ensure that these improvements are built upon at pace to further improve the service NSFT provide. We will always support our trusts to provide better healthcare outcomes to patients and residents of the East of England by working together in a structured way that improves services for all.'