OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND: NO CLEAR DISCHARGE PATH BY LINCOLNSHIRE PARTNERSHIP TRUST

FIRST, THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL, THEN WASPI BUT THE GREATEST SCANDAL STILL TO BE EXPOSED ARE THE THOUSANDS OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE TRAPPED MH FOR MANY YEARS ON END IN UNSUITABLE SETTINGS, DEPRIVED OF MEANINGFUL CONTACT WITH THEIR FAMILIES , DENIAL OF PHYSICAL HEALTHCARE REFERRALS, HELD WITHOUT LEAVE ON NEVER-ENDING SECTIONS.  

There is also the matter of conflict of interest at Board level with those at the top working for CQC which is conflict of interest.

Christopher Reid

<Chris.Reid@parliament.uk>;

victoria@victoriaatkins.org.uk victoria@victoriaatkins.org.uk

Dear Mr Reid

It is a disgrace that senior people within the ICB and LPFT and even ULHT are working for Care Quality Commission. It is no wonder why no complaints are dealt with properly.

I am most concerned about this and something should be done about it.

Yours sincerely

Susan A Bevis   POA and Litigation Friend.

It is now 2.5 years since the imprisonment of my 37 year old daughter under Lincolnshire Partnership Trust.  When I first moved in 2021, I cared about what they thought and was keen to get on with professionals, working together and to have a fresh start in the right environment – this is what I hoped for but that was never Lincolnshire Partnership’s Trust intention or that of Lincolnshire County Council.   The area where I live has just been voted one of the best areas in the Country to reside. There is a blue flag beach status with nature reserves surrounding my home.  Such natural environment had proved beneficial to Elizabeth before when she had wonderful care privately provided on the Isle of Lewis.  Elizabeth adores animals particularly birds (pigeons). She has a home of her own which was my first priority to provide. I moved because Elizabeth was just left to go downhill under Barnet Enfield and Haringey MH Trust, another dreadful area whose CEO is Jinjer Kandola.   

However moving was disastrous. I could not get her treatment continued in the community then came the bullying from certain professionals under “safeguarding”, whose priority was to get rid of me as the Nearest Relative. I was falsely accused of buying too many takeaways, when Elizabeth had turned to others; I was accused of being neglectful towards her physical health and being incapable of caring for her when in fact I had been her only carer in the community for six months prior to moving to the new area without any support in place.

The Team that had failed to provide anything in the community was (Enfield Community Rehab Team). We had a meeting with them prior to moving but could not give a definite decision as Elizabeth had not seen the new area. She was not on a section prior to moving but when we did move and confirmed she wanted to stay, they were advised she was not coming back and was immediately registered with a new GP.

It was someone called Hannah (former area)  from Enfield Community Rehab Team who spoke with the new area and recommended a MHA assessment. The followed all the files full of nasty comments and inaccuracy from Enfield who unfortunately remained responsible for s117 aftercare when they never provided any care within an independent council flat despite promises.   I had tried unsuccessfully to get adaptions done in that flat because Elizabeth could utilise her bath but this proved impossible.   All that was supplied was the fortnightly depot but they were reducing it every six weeks.

It was upon trying to get treatment continued then followed interaction with a new new social services team and we found ourselves in an even worse position. All sorts of allegations were levied mainly regarding the medication, then towards taking the POA putting me under investigation for months on end and then worse was to following with assumptions on “no capacity”, Elizabeth assessed for one section after another, then court papers produced. With no services up and running and boxes everywhere having just moved, the last thing we wanted was yet more challenges but having acquired former files, where all sorts of nasty things had been written, these file papers were simply taken on board and we had two areas to deal with. Despite registering with a new GP they failed to refer her correctly to MH services within the new area. Again little did we know that most of the services were the other side of the County. Despite being given details of everything the treatment was not continued despite all efforts and I was advised to take Elizabeth to urgent care where I thought she would see a doctor and could come home with the treatment arranged but it was not that simple. There followed months leading to years of the most restrictive incarceration ever experienced.  

I was accused of avoiding social services who apparently wanted to extend the section and assumed I would object. I had commented previously that the stress of going through court yet again, having suffered a stroke but this was mocked by more than one of these social workers.   Our treatment previously was ruthless and we are not alone in experiencing what amounts to bullying and blame culture that can effectively destroy families. That is out experience of social services apart from two who worked with the family when I was a carer for my father with Alzheimers. I have come across dishonesty in file papers and that presented to court even. There was mentioned that an attempt on her Elizabeth’s life was made whilst Elizabeth was in my company upon moving. In fact we were staying in a guest house whilst I had to sort out problems left by former tenants as the house was once two flats.  Elizabeth commented more about her distress on a dormitory ward where she could not stand the noise and tried to gouge her eyes out.  She had to be moved into a side room so she explained.

There was safeguarding instigated by various nursing staff against me followed by an investigation from Public Guardian Office for psychological abuse so I was blamed but the Public Guardian office found in our favour, an investigation which took months on end to conclude.

At the same time there was ongoing litigation for displacement of NR ongoing for months on end and all it took was disagreement regarding treatment to be found “unsuitable” but for months on end noone was safeguarding the wellbeing of Elizabeth on a ward where other patients had reported she was being picked on and constantly injected during the night. She would isolate in her room during the day and be awake all night, there came all sorts of allegations against me when heavy restrictions were put in place and threats to displace me as the NR and such allegations were put in letters following two occasions when I have turned up to visit and the visit was refused. The hospital had no end of CCTV yet no evidence could be produced to back up all sorts of nasty comments and when one member of staff yelled out “you have just assaulted a member of staff” whilst standing outside alone under CCTV I had asked for the footage which showed nothing.    Elizabeth had no leave granted for months on end, with visiting supervised 2-1 and phone taken away because she kept calling Police and Emergency Services.    The only people safeguarding Elizabeth were the patients themselves, one of whom said she slept with her door open. Collectively a group of patients reported their concerns to a HCA. that  “night staff were picking on her”.  When asked who I was told “the vast majority”   I was also told “what they are doing is institutionalising her”.   “She is being overdrugged and goes into the seclusion room with a tray full of needles”    “they are picking on  her for the slightest thing such as when she threw some clothes out of her room in the corridor.”   During this time all physical health appointments (to see a Neurologist previously arranged before moving) were cancelled by Dr Shahpasandy and Dr Afolabi as unnecessary.  The new GP recommended I took her back to London for the Neurologist appointments as the waiting list would be very long but I was not allowed to. Three capacity assessments were carried out by two doctors and one social worker that were seriously flawed and failed to take into account Principle 4.   Elizabeth contracted covid twice and family not immediately advised.  Elizabeth was not at all well when put under pressure by management, nursing staff and Mr M to participate in such assessments and the line of questioning was quite shocking all geared to succeed in their goal of displacement and trying to get a vulnerable patient to say negative comments but this tactic backfired in the end.   Eventually another family member was appointed Shame on the doctors who carried out these assessments and noone was ensuring that appropriate care was being provided when conditions were described as squalid.   The doctors under this hospital were reliant on so called “normal scans” going back to 2015 but when it came to my attention her doctor did some brilliant research into the Limbic system I had asked if Elizabeth could have the tests done due to what was written on the discharge note from Enfield but nothing was done about this. Elizabeth was treated like a virtual prisoner and I was in receipt of intimidating letters from the Ward Manager accusing me of being aggressive, intimidating but there is nothing more threatening than calling Police which occurred more than once.   Elizabeth’s treatment was dreadful under this hospital. Denied exercise and meaningful family contact and not treated the same as other patients.   The drugs were raised to double I assume this was whilst the capacity assessments were taking place.    There seemed to be huge conflict of interest at Board Level in regard to their association with CQC.

There followed a succession of other doctors, last of all being Dr TG who did allow some leave which went very well. Elizabeth was then transferred to Cygnet, Durham, then onto Ward 12, which time she was having regular seizures which originated from Ash Villa. There was also a cancer scare and appointment made, the outcome of which was “normal”  –  It is disturbing that people’s lives are put at risk when 1.5 Tesla scanner do not detect everything clearly and Tesla 3 scanners are only within teaching hospitals.

Because Elizabeth could not stand the noise on wards she spent much of her time isolating in her room and lying in bed during the day.  Apparently her room was next to the seclusion room which must have been incredibly noisy and she was clearly being treated very differently to other patients who were allowed more freedom. Other patients described H/C assistants snatching water away when drinking, food away when eating, constant injections and screaming in the seclusion room.

Elizabeth reported she had muscle weakness to entire body due to lack of exercise.  

During a very short period of time unrestricted leave was granted within local area surrounding the hospital then extended to 6 hours which was lovely.   Wherever Elizabeth has been in these dreadful institutions, the surrounding areas have been beautiful and what is so sad is nothing is right about the treatment of my daughter and so many others held as virtual prisoners, deprived of leave and isolated from their families.   During 6 hours I was able to take Elizabeth out to show her the local area and there was never any trouble.    Dr G began to give a bit of leave to come home but the awful thing was it was restricting by having to see the Crisis Team and whenever this was arranged Elizabeth would get worked up and anxious, her fears stemming from previous experience of former area. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with Elizabeth and to have her home.  We would go shopping, she would cook meals at home, we would go out to some nice places and on one occasion I had taken Elizabeth to have a private MRI scan because I was concerned that all her appointments had been cancelled as “unnecessary”. The private scans revealed what looked like a cavernoma and lesions and it was only then that LPFT felt obliged to have more scans done, Finally a referral was apparently been made to see a Neurologist.

Now a prisoner for months on end under Dr W K ,  Elizabeth appears to be really going downhill.  Her face is full of marks where she is self-harming once again, she is denied leave,  she is denied meaningful family contact, she has had her phone taken away, put in the locker and when she does phone she is only allowed supervised calls with 2-1 supervision and the carer’s champion is often called upon to supervise the visits.   She is denied exercise, fresh air on a daily basis. There is not always staff available to take her to the shop or allow her to have the phone in order to supervise. She is missing home, she is missing her cat, she has seen nothing of the beautiful City of Lincoln. It has been like going backwards the way she has been treated.

Elizabeth is of no risk to others and although her face is red raw with marks and what follows seizures is always rapid tranquilisation.

At Ash Villa, she was constantly missing meals going without all day isolating in her room.  Here on Castle Ward same, with at one time virtually daily injections and a new drug introduced namely Procyclidine (for Parkinsons) and then they tried to give Aripiprazole orally to counteract the high prolactin levels but I have found out that Aripiprazole does not counteract high prolactin levels. This is also a drug I previously reported for adverse reaction.

The only hope now is that my daughter will go to Sheffield where they have all the up to date machinery such as Tesla 3 scanner.  I have told the Mental Capacity Lead that until the underlying causes are investigated they could not possibly go down the route of capacity without finding out about the underlying causes that impair capacity because impaired capacity is not the same as having zero capacity and the reasons for the impaired capacity need to be thoroughly documented.    Not once under this hospital or any others provided by Lincolnshire has there been any psychological input.

Going to Sheffield is also my only hope as it has been dreadful watching my daughter going downhill.  . For many years now since 2007 and a report by UCL stating “Anterior Region Medial Temporal Compromise” I have been looking for answers as I have always felt her condition was neurological rather than MH.

Out of sight out of Mind:   

The intentional isolation, degrading treatment like you would expect for a restricted prison has led to Elizabeth going downhill both physically and mentally which has been done deliberately so as to take ultimate control over that person.  Going back to our initial move –  the intention seemed to be to place Elizabeth into care against her wishes and that of her family.

LPFT have left her to go downhill to such an extent she needs assistance in showering, in going out places – unlike other patients not even allowed to the hospital shop.  They are not protecting my daughter by taking the phone away.  Staff are no doubt writing negatively and it is very intrusive to listen to every word of conversation. 

In care plans I have seen no mention of discharge only that she is too unwell to be discharged into the community but the home area is rated as one of the best in the country where she could make recovery but there appear to be other plans for out of area placements restricting contact with family.   There have been assessments taking place for a care home in West Sussex and another hospital. I feel this detention is all about convenience due to non provision of care in the community.

I would like to see a replica of the successful Linden Farm in Surrey  (Simon Trust) in Lincolnshire to allow disabled people to remain within the area close to their families and inclusion rather than exclusion.

More choice is needed such as care farms, more places like Camphill Community Trusts and involving parents/carers like the Simon Trust (Linden Farm).