LETTER FROM MARIA CAULFIELD MP DEPT OF HEALTH DATED 02.08.2023

The response below from Maria Caulfield was as a result of a letter from Victoria Atkins MP on my behalf.

“Thank you for taking time to contact me about the treatment of people with severe mental health problems.

Please see enclosed correspondence which I have received from Maria Caulfield MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy, in response to enquiries which I have made on your behalf.

I hope you find the response from the Minister helpful.

Yours sincerely

Victoria Atkins MP

Member of Parliament for Louth and Horncastle

First of all re the above letter I would highlight “the treatment of people with severe mental health problems?”. Totally wrong interpretation as I am talking about those stuck under acute/PICUS that have physical health conditions like Elizabeth who are in need of proper assessments especially since care and treatment for MH disorder does not work. Physical health can affect someone’s mental health and I am going to have to go back to Victoria Atkins as the response to me from her department as well as that from Maria Caulfield is totally wrong and totally unhelpful.

I was talking about proper assessments when nothing else has worked and especially when you have proven as a parent there are underlying physical health concerns and have evidence of such.

I am going to write back as many times until I get the right answer addressed.

LETTER FROM MARIA CAULFIELD MP DATED 02.08.2023

“Dear Victoria

Thank you for your correspondence of 18 April on behalf of your constituent Ms Susan Bevis about the treatment of people with severe mental health problems. Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in writing.

I was very sorry to read of Ms Bevis’ daughter’s mental health problems and the experience she describes. I can appreciate that this situation has caused a great deal of frustration and distress.

I hope you will understand tht the department cannot comment or intervene in individual cases.

As the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman is currently investigating this case, Ms Bevis will have to wait on its decision. If Ms Bevis has any further questions, she may through its website at http://www.ombudsman.org.uk or by email at phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk.

I am sorry I cannot be more directly helpful

Yours sincerely

MARIA CAULFIELD MP

Once again I would point out that the words “severe mental health problems” are completely wrong and nothing to do with my complaint. Again in the second paragraph it is mentioned about my daughter’s severe mental health problems and that is not what my complaint is about at all.

My complaint was about the total neglect of my daughter’s underlying physical health. That is where the frustration and total distress lies.

The Discharge Note said “abnormal findings on scan pointing to CNS”. So what is that then? Central nervous system conditions could be MS or Parkinsons or early onset dementia. When you have extensive private tests done to prove there is an endocrine dysfunction for a start this has nothing whatsoever to do with severe MH problems.

It is no wonder Elizabeth says she is not a person. Like an object she has been sent all over the country for the same “treatment” of rapid tranquilisation and seclusion which I can only describe as torture. Her arm was full of bruises when I visited her on Ward 12 where blood samples have been obtained and I suppose each hospital has to do their own tests and what about more extensive tests in connection with the private assessments I have had done which may involve MRI or ultrasound or referral to specialists????

When nothing has worked so far this is when extensive physical health checks should be done by specialists and not under psychiatric/mental health care.

I have already proven that under Lincolnshire Partnership Trust the treatment of MH patients and their families is woefully inadequate. When I requested an MRI scan I was told it was not necessary as the one in 2015 was “normal”. 2015 was a long time ago now. We are now in 2023 and even I as a mother know this is wrong and neglectful. When I mentioned the endocrine tests recommended by Dr Moncrieff that was ignored and so was all the appointments in London the GP said I should take her to.

Here are the doctors from Ash Villa:

Dr H Shahpasandy (refused his own research into the Limbic system that proved one of his patients did not have schizophrenia but inflammation of the brain). When I asked for this research to be carried out for Elizabeth this was ignored. Patient recovered when taken off the clopixol depot. Considering the discharge note from Enfield that pointed to only physical health concerns this is surely wrong. All appointments for physical health in London cancelled as I was refused the opportunity to take Elizabeth despite the fact the GP surgery said I should go back to London because of long waiting lists.

Dr Ismail – RC of Charlesworth Ward. Appointed again when Dr Shahpasandy left and did nothing both times. Comments in certain file notes were totally inaccurate when it came to my ability to care for my daughter and look after her dietary needs. There was safeguarding instigated under this ward against me and again under Ash Villa whilst desperate attempts were made to take away the Power of Attorney by stating we were abusive. It did not work out but this put us under tremendous pressure at the time.

Dr Kumar – RC only for a short while. Never got to meet him but during this time medication (drugs) were raised from fortnightly to weekly at enormous quantities. Failure to take into account the P450 liver enzyme tests that stated “poor/non metaboliser”. Failure to take into account Endocrine tests that showed dysfunction or to refer to an Endocrinologist. Failure re MRI scan as previous doctors failed.

Dr Islam – I think I met him on one occasion but nothing achieved and he was only there a very short period of time.

Dr Suleyman carried out flawed capacity assessment not in line with Master-man Lister.

In desperation various other nursing staff tried to carry out capacity assessments too to decide on what THEY thought was “best interest” and the main thing at the time was getting rid of the nearest relative which happened to be me at the time. I had not even challenged them but in 23 months – no sign of improvement whatsover.

Dr T Greenall

Unlike any of the others he did give some leave which was going very well considering the torture my daughter endured under this “hospital”. Leave commenced slowly and gradually and progressed to home but they sent the carer’s champion and an OT to visit home. The awful thing was we had to meet up with the crisis team and Elizabeth absolutely hated this because of bad memories. Home is a very large house in extensive grounds overlooking beach and sea. We tried to provide the right environment and knew what worked because of the way Elizabeth came home from Australia even wanting a job. This was because the right care was given ie psychotherapy. It was not necessary to forcibly inject Elizabeth as the professionals from Working to Recovery had the right approach unlike the NHS.

Elizabeth loves animals and birds and we are surrounded by nature reserves in my area, sea and beach. Nothing prepared us for the horrors we were about to face thanks to Lincolnshire Partnership Trust and Council. Under two areas we have encountered bullying and neglect which was our reason for wanting to move anyway hoping for better in a new area however I was sadly very much mistaken. This shows wherever in this country under MH care similar treatment is what you are likely to find. One of the things that was so bad was that Ash Villa were aware of several moments of ‘inconsolable distress’ and failed to provide anything that could prevent any injury. It says in the files she sustained back injury when rolling on and off the bed which is why home is a much safer environment. What we saw was horrific. This had been seen many times by Ash Villa staff but there was no warning as to what to expect in the ward Elizabeth would be in a delirious state as though she was suffering from Akathisia. She would be suffering tremors and shaking. She would be talking in an incomprehensible, delirious manner, rolling on and off the bed and slapping herself/screaming as though suffering from a terrible nightmare. This episode we witnessed went on for at least an hour at home. Since then we have asked for a strong bed as the bed was broken and some padding to the wall as at one point she knocked her head on the wall. This episode has not put me off having Elizabeth home and I think home is much safer. Just imagine an episode like this on a ward where the floor is hard. This would always result in rapid tranquilisation on most occasions and for someone who is a poor/non metaboliser this could be life-threatening. After that all home leave cancelled and back to square 1 again and still absolutely nothing is working because the treatment is wrong and I have proven the diagnosis to be wrong too.

Dr Memon – Cygnet Appletree

I have to say I think Dr Memon is about the best doctor of all as he was not dismissive towards Elizabeth’s physical health whereas all the others refused the scan which I see as negligent. I had the scan done privately. It could not have been at all pleasant for Elizabeth to undergo a scan in a closed scanner because she is claustrophobic but that was all I could get for a brain scan. Dr Memon also called for an ambulance after witnessing an episode.

Unfortunately, according to Elizabeth there were not extensive tests done in A&E. Elizabeth was just brought back to Cygnet who applied rapid tranquilisation frequently – so this was nursing staff administering prn constantly and this was outlined as criticism in the CQC report previously. Imagine being forcibly injected every few days. Same treatment at Ash Villa which prompted several other patients to report to me stating they slept with their door open at night and were doing the safeguarding thmselves. I think some of them raised safeguarding concerns. Whilst at Cygnet we were both keeping a record of how many days Elizabeth went without incident and we got to 4 days then had to start all over again as according to Elizabeth she had been promised she could come home if she went 7 days without incident. She managed to do this before her transfer and then her sudden move to Ward 12 Boston took place.

At Cygnet Elizabeth started smoking, had frequent rapid tranquilisation/very intrusive 15 minute watch/phone initially taken away because of Elizabeth calling police/loss of brand new shoes.

Dr Mohammed – Ward 12 Boston

Elizabeth placed on a dormitory ward. A mixed ward. Totally unsuitable as she tried to gouge her eyes out in distress whilst on Charlesworth Ward. Following another ‘episode’ which must have been distressing for other patients in the dormitory to watch, Ash Villa staff were contacted according to Elizabeth someone called Olive and several others came to inject her.

I asked Ward 12 to let me have the check list of possessions from Cygnet to Ward 12 as I know the brand new shoes are missing and so many things have gone missing so when this happens I believe the items should be replaced. Then I find out that several of her possessions were left behind on Ward 12 including a bank card. It has been a nightmare having to constantly chase up about this.

Castle Ward Lincoln – transferred Wednesday 9 August 2023

No-one has contacted me yet from Castle Ward. I do not know who the doctor is. The only reason I know she is there is because Elizabeth contacted me “Hi Mum I am just getting ready to move to Castle Ward. On Tuesday 8 August Elizabeth wrote “Hello I’m being treated as a prisoner I believe”. I then received a call from the carers champion of Ward 12 to inform me but I already knew. Then Elizabeth informed me she had left her bank card behind on Ward 12. I then had to ring Ward 12 and it was not only this that had been left behind but other possessions.

Response from Maria Caulfield:

In all this time and many years prior to moving Elizabeth has been on treatment that is totally wrong and the only care that has worked has been what I provided myself through Working to Recovery.

This shows how MH hospitals are failing to address underlying physical health probelsms that can manifest in symptoms thought to be schizophrenia or Bipolar when all along no proper assessments are done on physical health to rule out such possibility when nothing else has worked. Instead the vulnerable person is subject to torture and abuse by frequent seclusion and rapid tranquilisation which can be life-threatening. Elizabeth did not have any such episodes before we moved to Lincolnshire.

The question I want to ask Maria Caulfield is “WHY HAS NO PSYCHOLOGIST BEEN ALLOCATED TO ELIZABETH in practically 2 years? Why was she refused vital physical health checks with specialists – already arranged by former area? Why aren’t proper assessments done into underlying physical health conditions which need referrals to specialists. I have proven genetic dysfunction. The tests are well and truly behind the US for genetic metabolising disorder but now there is a specialist clinic in Wales called SWAN but one I have been recommended is Cleveland Clinic OHio. Why are we so behind the US in carrying out proper assessments on physical health.

My daughter’s conditions are PHYSICAL not mental but now she is traumatised thanks to LINCOLNSHIRE PARTNERSHIP TRUST and their inadequate MH care provision. This is a nationwide issue where none of the trusts carry out proper assessments to ascertain underlying physical health causes which could be anything from Limbic System/genetic metabolising dysfunction/endocrine dysfunction. The referrals should be made to an immunologist/endocrinologist/geneticist/neurologist not just by mere observation of symptoms when treatment fails to work.

I was also not happy to hear that Cygnet do not pass on all the records. Why not? especially when the NHS is paying.

Right now it is distressing as none of us can get through on the phone and I have asked several times for the phone to be given back to Elizabeth. I have also asked several times as to whether the bank card and other possessions left behind on Ward 12 have been received by Castle Ward. It is exhausting to have to keep chasing them for response.