The 7 Days of Action Campaign is great news as it highlights the injustice going on in the UK towards those with learning disabilities, how they are being held all over the country like prisoners, a long distance away from families and friends.    It is disgusting that the Government ignores does nothing to stop this from going on.  Vast funding (by public money) in the hands of  local areas goes to private hospitals and care homes instead of local services and improvement to the NHS care and services – all geared to making profit and not providing the right kind of care needed – a waste of money.

Sadly Elizabeth is currently held in an assessment treatment private hospital called Huntercombe based in Roehampton, a fair distance from where we live.    I was delighted to be contacted by the Guardian journalist currently doing an article on the effects on vulnerable people and carers of being sent a long distance away from home.  I told her about the time Elizabeth was sent to Cambian in Wales from London.  I am currently putting others in touch with her.  The journalist was most interested to hear what I had to say about care in my local area of ENFIELD.

Elizabeth has been various institutions/care homes, and came out worse than ever. What a waste of public money. When we had her home for two years she refused to go out the suffering from Agoraphobia.   The best thing we did was to send her away to stay with wonderful MH professionals (who saw no sign of psychosis) however Elizabeth has anger problems because of her treatment and what happened to her which has never been addressed before but suppressed through vast amounts of drugs. The private MH professionals went a long way to help her and she had psychotherapy, art therapy and music therapy.  Elizabeth was able to communicate more effectively when she came home as a result of their treatment.  She came back well, better than we’d ever seen her,  wanting a job,  making her own appointments, cooking, cleaning, shopping and even trying to budget.  When it was confirmed what we had thought all along I desperately tried to get a bit of support from my local area Enfield Learning Disability Centre but were turned away.  Enfield East Recovery Team have refused to budge on “paranoid schizophrenia treatment resistant” .  Elizabeth’s recent care plan missed huge chunks of the files where it is documented by various doctors that she had developmental/ Disability/Aspergers.”  These doctors are:

Professor Linden – developmental

Dr Christodolou –  learning disability

Dr Satinda Sahota – Aspergers

Dr Bob Johnson – 2013 – PTSD

Private MH professionals who had Elizabeth four months thought she had a learning/developmental disability as well as complex PTSD as Elizabeth started to talk about what happened to her at Moti Villa – local scheme in the community

Dr Mukherjee – Clinical Psychologist – Chase Farm Hospital –  did not deny the possibility of complex PTSD or learning disability, unlike others in the team.

Over the past 11 years Enfield have not budged on a mental health diagnosis and it is no wonder Elizabeth has gone downhill and not got better.  We have proven over a short period of time at a fraction of the cost of these private institutions and care homes that with the right care, environment and approach someone can improve and get well to the point of wanting a job but sadly there is no support from the local area (Enfield) and it is no wonder why when they commission private facilities at vast sums of public money, instead of improving things locally and offer what is needed most in terms of care and services.

Also a lot of money has been wasted on social services taking to court someone who disagrees and dares to challenge the “care”  which has been mostly huge levels of mind altering drugs which again have done nothing for my daughter except harm.  You cant drug someone who has suffered extensive abuse under one of their provided schemes in the community – memories will not fade but what I think they have tried to do is to cover this all up by giving her maximum levels of drugs in the past in order that she could not talk about it.  Well now everything is out in the open and both close family and friends alike all dispute the diagnosis of “paranoid schizophrenia treatment resistant”.

I am saddened to see under 7 Days of Action that there are vulnerable people who have been imprisoned for as long 16 years and I know of other cases too.  They are denied basic human rights and drugged up, some to the point where they become so disabled they cannot live independently.   Families are ignored once under the control of care homes etc.    They just try to discourage by restricting visiting/leave/sever contact/displacement because vast sums of money are being made and if abuse is going on it makes it easier to cover up if people are not visiting from outside.

It is easy to become stuck in the system especially if there is no outside interest -no family or friends as witnesses.  The seems to be no accountability.

Huntercombe Hospital Roehampton:

Dr Shakeel Ahmad – RC;      Dr Smart;     Dr Ramdani

Elizabeth has not been there long on the PICU Lower Richmond Ward and I have spoken to Dr Ahmad who agreed with everything I said.    He agreed the facility and environment was wrong but ENFIELD are paying for this and there is more than one person from Enfield that has been sent there.

Elizabeth was traumatised when she first arrived staring blankly into space.  I saw her  briefly and did not realise until I got there that this was a secure facility.  I found the journey awkward and had spent money on a cab as I am not familiar with the area.  They allowed me to see her briefly for just half an hour without prior appointment – I just dropped some things to her and I was saddened that this facility was just like Cygnet and Cambian.   You have to book in advance for a room to visit.

Elizabeth was distressed by noise on the ward and was not allowed her phone at first-  policy is no phones allowed but they have compromised on as I made such a fuss about it.  You can easily be shut off from the outside world without a phone and there is no privacy using the patient’s phone. When I originally had to phone the patient’s phone Elizabeth complained of not being able to hear me and also it was awkward to get through to her and expensive as if you are kept holding on for a long time using a mobile phone.

I would say that it is slightly better in terms of the fact that when visiting a member of staff did not stay in the same room or stand over you listening to every word of  conversation.  At Cygnet Beckton the visitor’s room door was left open whilst a member of staff sat outside listening to every word of your conversation.

My second visit to Elizabeth was in the evening after work.   Again I got a cab part of the way due to time restrictions for visiting.  Elizabeth could hardly see out of her eyes, was having to lie down on the settee and could barely walk.  She said “look what they are doing to me mum”.   It was sad to see my daughter looking so drugged up and I asked what she was on.  To my dismay it was something like 2mg Clonazepam three times a day and 2mg Rispiriedon three times a day.    I was told this is not a big dosage but the effects were astonishing when Elizabeth could not speak hardly and was slurring her words it was hard to understand what she was saying.    I was so upset that I asked for a call from Dr Ahmad and obtained his email address.  He did ring me and agreed to reduce the drug.

The third visit to Elizabeth was the weekend where again I could see no improvement and Elizabeth choked badly on food and was ill.  This time staff were not outside the visitors room which was situated in the main area of the ward.   Elizabeth still could not see out of her eyes and came in with eyes shut as she had been asleep prior to my visit.

Various close friends of the family have also been to visit Elizabeth and have been concerned about her appearance but she has been thrilled by their visits.    You are only allowed to visit for 1 hour.

Elizabeth has not been out in the surrounding area.   I am saddened by this as she was treated like a normal human being by the private MH professionals and allowed out and about in France and Australia on her own and also in Edgware from Trent Ward she was to explore the local area and there were no problems.   Here at Huntercombe she is held just like a prisoner.  There is only a small garden area outside the ward combined with smoking area which is not good.

SMOKING

Must to my dismay this small area has a smoking area too and in that environment it is easy to copy the bad habits of others so Elizabeth went in a non-smoker and now she is wanting to smoke   –  I am appalled and I have spoken my mind about this to Huntercombe.    This is one of the main reasons I do not want Elizabeth to remain in this private facility.

FOOD

Elizabeth says the food is quite nice but she is always hungry.   To begin with she spent most of her time asleep knocked out by the drugs being given to her and I thought that maybe this was the reason she was so hungry as she could have been missing meals.

LOCALLY

Whilst Elizabeth was on Suffolk Ward she was ordering takeaways to the point that the Bank have put a stop on her spending.   So I am going to show her a copy of her statement and check everything with her today to see if any entries could be wrong.

COMMUNICATION/PHONES

As experienced previously it is not always easy to get through on the phones.    Staff are busy and pushed for time.  Thank goodness they have now allowed Elizabeth to have a phone – maybe it is their office phone where they have inserted the contract chip.   I will have a look when I visit next.

WHY AM I HERE MUM?

Sadly anyone who presents with any kind of challenging behaviour is thrown into an institution such as this where they are consequently drugged.   There is therapy such as art/music and chance of one to one so I have heard.  There is advocacy available but you have to ask for these things.   There is the chance to see church representatives/priests etc and this is good.  However the environment is not good amongst other patients presenting with challenging behaviour.

WHAT IS BAD ABOUT CYGNET, CAMBIAN, HUNTERCOMBE AND OTHER SIMILAR FACILITIES?   

It is the whole environment that is wrong.  If patients are cooped up all day, not allowed out, then it is no wonder they act adversely and the reason they are drugged so much is simply to control them.   If someone is so drugged up then they cannot possibly benefit from what is good on offer on some of these wards.   I am appalled by the smoking environment unlike NHS.   I feel that the environment is like prison and very restrictive.   You cannot just turn up – you have to book a room and if that room is unavailable then you cannot visit.   Elizabeth has been placed by Enfield in similar facilities in the past and they have not helped her at all.  They have failed to assess her properly – they have failed to offer the right treatment and all they have done is hold her like a prisoner.

TRIBUNALS

The only way to get out of these prison-like facilities is to challenge the Section 2 which is 28 days because once you go on to a Section 3 it is very hard to get out.   I know people who are stuck on a section 3 that goes on for many years.   It is extremely profitable for hospitals to keep hold of someone and they are not going to get better in that environment.    If Elizabeth is to be held under Section then this facility is totally wrong and I have identified The Retreat and Khiron House that offer the correct treatment for people who have been extensively abused like Elizabeth has under care itself and as documented in the files going back to 2010.

So Elizabeth’s tribunal is on Monday at 9.00 am.  Originally Elizabeth appointed a firm of solicitors but quite often a hospital will put forward their own recommendations of solicitors from their lists.    They like the advocates who are funded by the hospital are supposed to be independent but I do not believe that they are.   Unfortunately much to my dismay I heard that Elizabeth was persuaded to go with another firm of solicitors  recommended by Huntercombe in place of those she originally appointed.  I bet you that this appeal is not going to be successful.   When I enquired I found out that there are people attending this important meeting on Monday – presumably those attached to the local area of ENFIELD who we have been trying to get hold of in order to retrieve Elizabeth’s possessions from the scheme run by Simicks / Baytree Care.  None of them have responded to me or anyone in the family.  I do not think the tribunal will go in her favour.   That leaves me as NR to contest the section and I know that Elizabeth is not happy there due to the noisy volatile environment – there is another patient who she feels threatened by – she is a long distance away from family and friends.  It is costly to challenge a section as NR if you have assets ie your home then you are not entitled to legal aid and that is how people can become stuck in the system for up to 15 years. Just think how much public money is being wasted and those vulnerable people are not going to get better in a prison-like facility or care home that also treats them like prisoners.   Take Phoenix House Stepping Stones Northampton “she must be reminded to manage her money (£30 pw) better as she had no food at the weekend”.   Many places such as this take a hard line approach and think it is right to be cruel to be kind in terms of getting someone to manage by not ensuring that person has decent food, by not offering the right kind of support and most of all by not offering kindness but by taking a harsh/tough approach. 

THE PROBLEM CARE IN THE COMMUNITY/CARE HOMES

Elizabeth was discharged from Chase Farm Hospital Enfield to a privately owned scheme that had no running water or toilet facilities in complete breach of Health and Safety.   I’ve no idea who carried out the health and safety risk assessment but I would say this is negligent to place someone in the community who has had no proper treatment and held on acute wards for up to 15 weeks – drug free but no issues had been addressed as there is just one psychologist shared between so many wards in Enfield so I understand – please correct me if I am wrong here.   It would seem like vast sums of money are spent on Cygnet, Huntercombe and other similar private hospitals whilst ignoring the need to provide much needed services and facilities in the local area offering the right kind of care.    That results in vulnerable people not receiving the right kind of treatment and being sent far away from their families and held prisoner for many years.  How can this be allowed to go on in a civilised country?

I am delighted that the Guardian is going to feature this and that there is a campaign called 7 Days of Action which I would thoroughly support.  I am more than happy to be included in any newspaper features or even appear on TV to highlight the need for change in the UK as I have proven what kind of care and environment can work.   When someone is placed in a care home or supported living scheme that has complex PTSD quite often they are placed amongst people who do not know how to deal with the distress from that person.   It is clear that Elizabeth was not happy and did not bond with majority of staff at her most recent scheme (apart from one care support worker).   It is not always qualifications that count but knowing when to step back and how to deal with situations.    With a no nonsense policy relating to abuse – if someone presents with challenging behaviour and staff do not know how to deal with this situation then that person ends up back and forth in hospitals because staff just call the Police.    They then try to throw someone out on the street homeless yet they took that person in without consideration in the first place.   It is commonsense that you cannot just dump someone in the community and provide the cheapest option but now Enfield are paying for both expensive facility PICU and empty scheme as a result.

What upset Elizabeth:    “no one understands me”  –  “I could hear them talking about me behind my back stating ………….said I was not doing too well”.  Putting pressure on that person to attend meetings and progress reports is not good.  If she had just been left alone she could have settled.  Sadly the really good support worker who knew how to deal with Elizabeth was not at the scheme when Elizabeth was released from hospital.  I understand that Elizabeth has gone out of her way on her own accord to find out where that good support worker is.

Elizabeth still has possessions at the scheme but we have not been advised what is going on and no one is responding to us.  We want to call round and collect the possessions but this needs to be arranged.   The care coordinator and her Manager are based at 58-60 Silver Street Enfield and the team is called Enfield East Recovery Team.  It does not take a minute to pick up the phone to say what is happening right now but this team have ignored everyone.

The reason the scheme did not work:

The majority of staff did not bond or understand Elizabeth – we feel she has Aspergers  not a mental health condition and other professionals have felt the same way.

Elizabeth did not have the right kind of therapy.   Psychotherapy/anger management should have been provided for her to attend outside of the scheme.

Isolation in terms of the fact she had made friends with people on the ward but in the community she was isolated and surrounded by staff not friends.

Chronic pain due to being off drugs for over 100 days – no one understands the effects of withdrawal and tiredness and they think that the answer is more drugs which is totally wrong.

I recently stayed overnight prior to Elizabeth’s admission back into hospital again.   I stayed the weekend and witnessed her distress and unhappiness.  If a proper risk/health and safety assessment had been carried out in the first place then staff would have seen that this is not a suitable place for Elizabeth at this moment in time- a scheme that has zero tolerance of any challenging behaviour which can come about if that person feels threatened out of fear.  It put me in a position where I had to deal with situations arising.  Crisis team did not turn up but then what would they have done – she would have just ended up back in hospital again.  You are excluded as a family member from any discussions and meetings in the community.  You are treated like you are invisible when all along Elizabeth wishes the whole family to be involved. She has said so several times.

CHOICES

If accommodation locally could be found there are people I know who could work with Elizabeth effectively who have known her since a child and who would not put her under pressure.  If a room could be found like that in the scheme she was in and direct payments  provided this would be the cheapest option.

BEST SOLUTION:  –  the best solution would obviously be to place Elizabeth at The Retreat for their year long programme called Acorn.

ANOTHER SOLUTION  – in every case placement into the community has failed and why?  -this is because the one thing that Elizabeth craves is a circle of friends and to have interests.  Isolation and loneliness has caused her to go downhill.  Friendship and interests are what is important and a community style is what I feel would benefit Elizabeth who was not happy in the scheme – a hospital is not the best environment to make friends.   I think that somewhere like Camphill Community Trust is the answer.   This is for people with learning disabilities but several people have identified this is what Elizabeth has and what they do there is encourage independence, give hope to people in a natural environment, working with animals, learning new skills, art and crafts, farming/gardening.   This is the right environment for Elizabeth but some of these places have strict criteria ie they favour those who live in the local area.   There is nothing in my area and I have telephoned some of these places – they are either full up or you have to live within that area.  Well there are two centres that are within the areas of other family members who own property and live nearby.    This is the right environment – not a prison-like hospital where smoking goes on.   If Elizabeth has to remain in a hospital environment then certainly not a PICU – this is totally wrong and so is an acute ward.   At least The Retreat have beautiful grounds and they treat patients with respect unlike the majority of NHS/private sector wards that believe in forced drugging and ECT.  I believe that Elizabeth should be a voluntary patient sent to The Retreat first of all and when you think how much money this is costing I bet that The Retreat offering the correct kind of care in a nice and healthy environment would work out cheaper and properly address underlying issues and then Elizabeth could be living independently but I also like Camphill Community Trust and Care Farms and some of these are in the right area where other family members live.

I will be visiting Elizabeth later today and will keep you informed of her progress.

We’ve been trying for so long to get the correct care/environment for Elizabeth who is multiply diagnosed.  Elizabeth recently gave me consent to deal with the local Commissioning Group.   I have received a response written by Deborah McBeal who is Deputy Chief Officer:

“I am  sorry to hear of your concerns etc”….. she goes on to explain about procedures for commissioning specialist therapeutic treatment/intensive care/support services in the community and how the procedure works:

“NHS Enfield CCG is a commissioning organisation, not a provider of services.  We commission our specialist mental health provider, Barnet Enfield and Haringey MH Trust (BEHMHT) to provide specialist treatment, care and support and treatment for people with mental health issues with a GP in Enfield. This includes:

• Providing treatment, care and support in line with the MH Act 1983.
• Developing needs assessments, care and support plans and risk management plans with individuals and their support network, where appropriate.
• Providing care coordination, support and reviews in line with Care Programme Approach (CPA) and other statutory responsibilities.
• Providing evidenced based treatment, care, support and wellbeing interventions in line within individual care and support plans that are safe, person centred and clinically appropriate.
• Ensuring that patients have access to appropriate advocacy, information, guidance and support.  More information on BEHMHT website http://www.beh-mht.nhs.uk.

COMMENTS BELOW WOULD APPLY TO ELIZABETH:

“From time to time people with more complex needs will require greater intensive therapy or treatment than BEHMHT is able to provide under current commissioning arrangements.”

The Multi-Disciplinary (MDT) supporting the individual will hold a needs assessment and review meeting with the individual and their support network where appropriate to determine what type of care and support is needed and what type of setting is appropriate – ie rehab inpatient or supported accommodation in the community.   The MDT working with the individual and their support network will agree a set of clinical outcomes and where appropriate request funding for any ongoing specialist treatment or placement from the most appropriate statutory organisation which could be CCG, NHS England, Local Authority, Housing Dept/Education Service.  This would be dependant upon clinical outcomes and assessment of need, taking into consideration capacity of the individual, best interest of the individual (Duty of Care) their needs/aspirations/recovery goals.”

So it is no use contacting the Commissioning group as everything is organised locally through the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) who not long ago were all sitting round a table – 9 of them doing safeguarding where I was centre of attention.

The Support Team of Elizabeth is called East Locality Mental Health Team and at the time Elizabeth was on Suffolk Ward Chase Farm Hospital.

The Service Manager is George Benyure.   Care Coordinator – Bola Quadri.

Consultant is Dr Basit Hussain

“I would encourage you to discuss placement options with your daughter and MDT supporting her”    Well I doubt that could ever be achieved judging by the contents of the Safeguarding Minutes which are truly shocking.   Glad I obtained these to see what goes on in such meetings and it is not about care that is for sure.

“The CCG would be unable to commission or fund a placement without a clinical recommendation which would need to come through the BEHMHT MDT supporting your daughter as part of the needs assessment and review process”.

That says it all.   In my case  if the MDT dislike you to such an extent as documented in the minutes without inviting you along to join in the discussion then no fair outcome can ever hope to be achieved.   If I ever needed help in my local area I do not feel I have anyone to turn to.

Whenever I’ve written or telephoned this local support team I have had no response to my emails.  As documented in the safeguarding minutes I can see why as my correspondence it was requested by the Deputy Leader of Qualilty that all correspondence by me be redirected to her.  So this is why no one has responded and the response we have had from the Deputy Leader of Quality is “we have to think of resourcing” – responding to my emails being costly and time consuming.  It is not the first time this approach has been used and this is why nothing is done satisfactorily apart from the most recent investigation which has been dealt with properly but not by them.  They have tried and failed to label me “vexatious complainant” but I have had good cause to complain and communication is the most important thing and it is not good practise to ignore emails without any response.

If there was an open and honest system such as Open Dialogue none of this would occur.

WHAT HAS RECENTLY BEEN PROVIDED:

I tried to tell them please do not place Elizabeth immediately in the community following her time on the acute wards but no one listened.   They just went ahead.   Elizabeth was not ready and needed time to adjust – I bet this was the cheapest option to place her in a local scheme where I was assured anger management/counselling etc could be addressed better than in a hospital environment.    An acute ward was the wrong environment costing £900 per night over a period of about 15 weeks.   She was allowed to be drug free and during this time, several attempts made to place her in the community which I kept saying was wrong but no one listened.  I was told by the Consultant at Trent Ward the only option was either the Recovery House in Palmers Green or supportive housing.  This just did not work out.   I asked whether he could apply for specialist funding for The Retreat or Khiron House where they have specific specialist treatment such as EMDR/psychotherapy.    Elizabeth spotted herself a Neuro Rehab Unit at Edgware Hospital and asked if she could go there.   So I put in a  request – it was Elizabeth not me who was asking but nothing came of this at all.

Now currently what is being provided is the most expensive care of all in a PICU which Dr Shakeel Ahmad himself admitted is completely the wrong environment for Elizabeth and none of us are happy as it is far away from home.  Treatment is forced on a Section 2 and no assessments have yet been carried out as far as I know.  Elizabeth has been threatened if she does not take drugs they will forcibly inject her.   I wonder how specialised their assessment is on Aspergers/learning disability and do they have extensive knowledge on this.  The local team have refused for so long to budge on their idea of diagnosis mentioned throughout the recent care plan by someone who would appear to be a newcomer, yet the care coordinator has stuck with this and it misses out huge chunks of the files that state Aspergers, PTSD by local professionals.  This is so bad when someone doesn’t get things right and this can lead to mistakes in care and treatment.  I have kept extensive records and have the names of the Doctors/professionals who say otherwise and not paranoid schizophrenia.

HUNTERCOMBE HOSPITAL – LOWER RICHMOND WARD

This must be a very expensive facility that Enfield is paying for not only for Elizabeth but others from the local area.   I think they are supposed to give assessments and say they specialise in learning disability and brain injury cases too.   Past scans have not shown that Elizabeth has got brain injury however she has been on maximum levels of the drugs in the past and when she came off them she was suffering from chronic pain yet placed in the community and twice ended up back on the local ward where underlying issues were not addressed in all those 15 weeks of her being there.  Elizabeth has only been at Huntercombe Roehampton for one week but already she is being drugged up to the extent she talks in a slurred manner like we have never seen before.    She is being prescribed three times a day Chlorpromazine and Rispiredon – the latter, prescribed a drug that Enfield MH had to take her off (Rispiriedon) because it caused a rash together with Chlorpromazine.  They are giving her too much medication as her eyes are like slits and her voice slurred. The facility is a far from home – interior better than Suffolk Ward – probably food is nicer too but Elizabeth was still hungry when I arrived yesterday and was keen to see what I had brought her.  She told me that she spent most time asleep as the drugs made her constantly tired.   When I visited last week she had to lie down – could hardly walk but was able to tell me a bit about her treatment and how if you refuse the tablets you get a choice – either you take them or you are forcibly injected.  She has recently been moved from Upper Richmond Ward to Lower Richmond Ward.   I have been told by someone that there is only one Consultant in charge of all the wards there who I assume to be Dr Shakeel Ahmad.   There are two psychiatrists namely Dr Mike Alcock and Dr Agron Ramadani but none are on duty at the weekend.

When I spoke to Dr Shakeel Ahmad last week I told him of my concerns regarding medication for my daughter and pointed out to him that the Rispiriedon caused a bad reaction as stated in the files.  I emphasised that Elizabeth cannot metabolise anti-psychotic drugs and I have sent him the P450 liver enzyme tests.  My concerns are that she should be on the minimal dosage but although he agreed to lower the dosage I saw no change when I visited her and she looked terrible. I got a call from Elizabeth on Friday last that she had a disagreement with a nurse and they brought her four tablets to take as a result so I believe my daughter is being overdrugged looking by at the state of her which saddens me and therefore I do not think this is the right place for her to be not only for that reason but it be so costly to provide by my local area of Enfield.   I am also worried about the safety of what they are doing as her appearance does not look good at all.   Elizabeth said last week  “look what they are doing to me, Mum”.   I appreciated she needed something to calm her down but I pointed out to the Consultant “how can she benefit from any therapy if she is so drugged up”   With her eyes barely open and the way she is speaking we are concerned for her wellbeing.   I remember when Elizabeth came back from Australia  I tried to get her ongoing therapy she needed but we had no help in the community.  The private MH professionals thought she had PTSD/poss learning disability but the local team refuse to budge on “paranoid schizophrenia” which we all feel is wrong and this has led to wrong treatment.   It would have been cheaper if support could have been provided through direct payments so I could employ carers of Elizabeth’s choice to help her.  We had never seen look so good back in December 2016 when she came back home after 4 months of being in the right environment and receiving the correct care.   The cost of this -a fraction compared with cost of an expensive facility such as this hospital.

I am unhappy as I feel a restrictive ward is no place to get well.   The right kind of environment is peaceful, natural, animals, fresh food, no pressure, no emphasis on meetings and progress/outcomes.   Dr Shakeel Ahmad even agreed with me on this and this is why we want her out of there as it is not the right environment for her to get well.  another hospital like The Retreat would offer less restrictive care, would not be pushing drugs at huge quantities and offer the correct programme of counselling suitable to her needs.

If she was to return to the community what suitable facility could be provided – certainly not a shared house like last time.  Certainly not a structured approach of meetings and progress etc.

The owner of the last scheme does not want her back – she could have been thrown out on the street if Police had not argued for some time.  They could not deal with a case of complex PTSD and Elizabeth says people fail to understand her.  A risk assessment was carried out and it was decided this was suitable but I knew things would not work.

After so long on acute wards a much quieter, peaceful environment was needed, not one where pressures such as meetings/assessments/clinical outcomes are expected.     If Elizabeth was left alone without any pressure perhaps she could recover.

I know of some people who may be interested in working with Elizabeth who have known her since a child.  If only they could be involved if she was to come back to the local area.  The arrangement of Direct Payments  worked well for my father for so many years and kept him out of going into a care home.    My father had day centre to go to each day, transport to pick him up, Crossroads to sit with him for two hours – direct payments covered a carer to sleep in over night, get breakfast ready and give medication until the early morning carer arrived from Jays Homecare.   Occasionally my father would go in to a care home for a couple of weeks or so respite.     All I had to do was keep the paperwork and pay the wages of the people I employed.   Whoever thought of Direct Payments came up with a fantastic idea which allows choice and independence to people who would otherwise be in a care home and restricted.    I had a good relationship with social services from Enfield Older Persons Team who were brilliant.    My relationship with the MH team is not good and they do not like me as I have complained but my father truly benefitted from having direct payments and he had Alzheimers.  He liked seeing the same carers just like Elizabeth likes to be familiar with people.  I think Elizabeth could eventually live in the community in her own place with maybe just one person staying overnight and support workers of her choice to assist during the day as and when needed.   The last thing she needs is a structured programme and pressure put on her.   We have been refused Direct Payments by the East Locality MH Team and perhaps they should now reconsider and bear in mind public funding and to give Elizabeth the choice to appoint who she feels comfortable with.   She should have an advocate to help her decide this and explain to her about direct payments but no advocate has been provided as per her best interests.  However now Elizabeth has got no end of people who wish to act as advocate and this is not being funded by Local Authorities.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE:

I think she should be first and foremost be properly assessed by Experts on learning disability as guidelines state:

7.10 LEARNING DISABILITIES

“If it appears the detained person may have a learning disability, every effort must be made to have that person assessed by a specialist in Learning Disability or to seek specialist advice if other services are unable to attend, unless this would lead to unacceptable delays in completing the assessment.”   It is ridiculous how some people affected by learning disabilities are placed in ATUS (Assessment Treatment Units) for 10-20 years.   There is no way on earth I want this for my daughter Elizabeth especially in a place like Huntercombe where they are giving too much medication as seen by her appearance.

If someone has suffered terrible abuse then they would have complex PTSD and this too needs consideration in order that correct treatment be given.  Antipsychotics are not recommended under NICE Guidelines for PTSD but psychotherapy and EMDR have proven to be beneficial.

SECONDLY:  The wrong hospital environment is a PICU or acute ward but a specialist place like The Retreat or Khiron House for complex PTSD/therapy on a year long programme would be better.      A place where Elizabeth is not being over-drugged but on the minimal amount of medication and at The Retreat I have heard they have a very good approach.    I feel that if she was on their long term programme she would be able to cope well with living in the community.

Other members of family live in Norfolk/Cambridge and I feel that these areas should likewise be considered.   In Cambridge she could get a proper assessment for Aspergers.   In Norfolk –  a much more peaceful environment by the coast might be more suitable but of course all this should be discussed with Elizabeth although emphasis should be on what is going to work in order to avoid return to wards such as Suffolk, Trent, Huntercombe and Cygnet Hospitals when if investment was made in the local area to provide specialist centre for complex PTSD and ongoing therapy much money could be saved rather than spending £12500 per week on private facilities and £900 per night on acute wards.

Dr Ahmad had contacted me during the week and said he would like to speak to me following my emails to him in which I asked some very good questions such as:

What does Upper Richmond Ward of Huntercombe Hospital offer exactly?

Do they offer assessments for Aspergers?

Do they offer assessments for complex PTSD?

Will Elizabeth be able to take part in the PIP Antibodies Research that Professor Lennox is doing that Elizabeth consented to?  A researcher was going to visit her on Suffolk Ward but she was transferred without any warning.

Can Elizabeth see an Endocrinologist?

Elizabeth should have tests as she has been hit around the head lots of times on Suffolk Ward.

Does the ward have EMDR/Psychotherapy?

Can Elizabeth have her phone back?

Did Dr Ahmed know that Elizabeth is allergic to Rispiriedone and came out in a rash and should therefore be taken off this chemical as was previously recommended in the files.  I got the feeling he did not know this but I can prove it.

Did Dr Ahmed know that Elizabeth is a non metaboliser of psychiatric drugs and should not be given them for complex PTSD – the correct diagnosis is Selyes Generalised Adaptational Syndrome and she is chronic treatment resistant and that means someone cannot metabolise the drugs.   I attached the report from Holland to my email.

I then went on to say that the ward was another ward that was not suitable for Elizabeth’s needs it is PICU and it is noisy and volatile on this ward.   How can anyone get better here with all the noise?

When Dr Ahmad telephoned he listened to me and he agreed with EVERYTHING I said.   I told him the ward was not therapeutic.   I then told him about the wonderful care we provided that took Elizabeth to Australia.  I would say this is proper care that included music therapy and art therapy.   He was very interested when I told him about Paris and that Elizabeth stayed on a house boat in Paris and attended the World Hearing Voices Congress.    He then went on to say did Elizabeth hear any voices and I said NEVER!   I told him that Elizabeth came back well after that wonderful care but deteriorated through lack of support in the community.  I mentioned about the healthy environment unlike London.  A natural environment where there were animals, peace and quiet and no pressure.    I mentioned about the scheme in the community and how pressure was put on Elizabeth expecting her to attend meetings.   All the same I am disappointed things did not work out as it was in a nice area.

I mentioned how unhappy I was that Elizabeth was being drugged so excessively that she could hardly open her eyes.   She could not walk hardly and I told him that it was very wrong that all patients were sectioned and there were no voluntary patients there on the ward.   I explained that Elizabeth was allowed out on her own in Australia, France and Spain and Scotland so why not there?  The surrounding area is very nice so I believe Elizabeth should be allowed out like she was on Trent Ward and Suffolk Ward.   It is lovely weather and I am saddened to think that my daughter is stuck in a hospital like this and now allowed out in the fresh air.   The local area of Enfield Barnet and Haringey MH Trust are short of beds because they do not offer the right kind of care on their wards and they have poor facilities and something needs to be done about this.   So the answer is to use Cygnet, Huntercombe and places like this but I never got any answer from Dr Ahmad as to what his ward offered in terms of assessments and care as all I have seen so far is Elizabeth drugged up three times daily on Clonazepam and I despair – Rispiriedon which is not recommended I am sure for complex PTSD.  It should only be given in any case up to six weeks and I am not happy at all that Elizabeth is on this chemical that causes huge weight gain and she did not get on with this before.    The chlorpromazine is a drug that is more likely to become addictive and Dr Ahmad said he would reduce this first and take her off it altogether from next week but I told him that I wanted him to start the reduction this week not next week.   He did not mention about the Rispiriedon what he was going to do about this and I said I was not very pleased.

I told Dr Ahmad that there was lots of people including myself that Elizabeth was happy to share information with as Elizabeth gave permission yesterday in writing.

It is coming up now for her time to challenge a Section 2 which is 14 days.   Fortunately Elizabeth appointed her solicitors in good time but she has no advocate.  If someone has no phone and is drugged up to the neck it is easy to see how some patients can be stuck on wards such as this – a secure prison type ward for many many years and drugged enormously.    I mentioned about this to Dr Ahmad but he said this would not be the case and agreed that she was not in the right place so once again the Commissioners at ENFIELD are paying a fortune for something that is not right for her.

Many friends are kindly helping me right now as this hospital is a bit awkward to get to but not impossible.

Elizabeth has been using the patients phone.   It is not good to get through if you do not have a mobile –  it is very hard and easy to be cut off completely from the outside world and be in a world of haze because of the drugs and I believe what he is giving is:

1 mg Chlorpromazine and 1mg Rispiriedon three times a day.    When the drugs are dished out staff threaten patients.   They say that if you do not take the chemicals they will forcibly inject you.   Elizabeth does not like injections which is one of the reasons I took her off the Clozapine.  I made a point of telling Dr Ahmad that this drug was one of the worse ones and caused NMS which is a very serious condition.  NEVER AGAIN MUST THIS DRUG CONTAINING TALC AND ASPARTAME BE GIVEN –  it caused tachycardia.  Elizabeth looked terrible on this drug and used to get upset at having to go for the blood tests.

The correct care I would like to see given is not available in Enfield and everyone should question WHY NOT?   It is common sense not to just dump someone into the community without providing the therapy.   Now look at the waste of money.  If proper care was given like I provided long term then this would be cheaper than all these admissions onto prison type wards.

The Commissioners need to look at my blog and provide the correct care in my opinion which I have found in York on a long term programme called Acorn.   It is I believe a year long programme and then Elizabeth can be placed in the community again.  By this time she would not need a supportive housing scheme but would be independent like she came back from Australia.   This hospital has beautiful grounds and offer humane care – I am sure staff there would not threaten to force inject someone.   I honestly think Elizabeth could get well again there.

Anyway now that I have consent along with all the advocates I wish to see if Dr Ahmad has in fact started the reduction before he goes away next week.     I made a point of asking who will be acting RC but I do not recall him telling me or answering my queries above.  Solicitors will be visiting Elizabeth and I will ask them to find out who is acting RC and I need both psychiatrists email addresses which Dr Ahmad did not know off hand.

The last thing I asked of Dr Ahmad was to check in the fridge as I was concerned that the food I brought along  on my first visit had gone missing according to Elizabeth.   Dr Ahmad said he was very busy and did not have the time to look but I will be checking on this tomorrow as if this has gone missing I will not be very pleased.   I remember at the Bethlem Dr Ann Blake Tracy recommended some fabulous oils that she said would benefit the entire ward.   Also the supplements went missing between them and Cambian and I am far from pleased about this.

Support worker Joseph told me that nothing goes missing on Upper Richmond Ward but I need to hear from Elizabeth about this.

Elizabeth wants a Chinese Meal but I am not familiar with where is the nearest restaurants and need to look this up to see if I can order it for her as I will not be visiting until Saturday.

MESSAGE TO DR SHAKEEL AHMAD   – please check the fridge tomorrow to ensure that Elizabeth’s food has not gone missing and please leave the drugs chart out for me when I call and one more thing –  please can you ensure that there is a room booked for me to visit Elizabeth on Saturday.   Thank you very much.

I will also make a point of telephoning as I remember turning up at the Bethlem once with Elizabeth’s cat and she was not even allowed to come down to the car to stroke the cat and I had brought a lead along so that we could have walked in the beautiful grounds.  (see my blog “Abuse at the Bethlem”)

Anyway I must look up these restaurants now for tomorrow and will keep you all informed.

I was so concerned at not being able to get through on the telephone to speak to Elizabeth.  I decided to visit and phoned to advise that I would be going to the hospital tonight.    I did get to speak briefly on the patient phone but Elizabeth’s voice was slurred and I was even more concerned about her well being.

Comments from Elizabeth:

Elizabeth is being drugged in this institution.    Elizabeth is being drugged three times a day so I was told.   Staff have threatened her that if she does not take the “medication” she will be forcibly injected.  Three members of staff threaten this “treatment”.

Elizabeth said “why could they just leave her until the next day but they threatened her – three members of nursing staff on different days”.    Elizabeth said she had been sleeping for most of the day and did not feel at all well on the medication.   She does not feel like eating anything and feels like she needs a life support machine – these are her words not mine.

I asked how many times does she go outside and she said she was inside for most of the time drugged up.

“My legs are aching and shaking -not working properly – I feel like a zombie.

I understand they are prescribing Rispiriedon again and no one has checked but in the files Elizabeth had an allergic reaction to this drug and they had to take her off it.    It is an antipsychotic drug which is not recommended for the condition of complex PTSD.  Chlorpromazine is the other drug.    Both drugs I believe are being given at 1mg each three times a day but the effects are devastating.  Although Elizabeth has not yet lost capacity if they carry on this way patients can get to the stage where they are not fit to challenge anything and get stuck in the awful system.    Fortunately Elizabeth had capacity to tell me what was going on.   She had to lie down on the settee in the private ward.   A member of staff – support worker named Joseph sat outside for the whole of the hr meeting.

I have been in touch with the rest of the family and there are lots of friends also who are most concerned.     I feel so sorry for those stuck in this place that do not have family or are completely isolated as it must be very frightening to be in a place like this.

CQC ratings are “in need of improvement”.  I do not know their restraint procedures but it sounds awful to be threatened that if you do not take the drugs three times a day then you will be injected.    Elizabeth is only on a Section 2 and I agree she needed a little something but I feel like she is being overdrugged in this place and am not happy for her to remain here at all.   I think she needs to be in a hospital environment but not a PICU.    I think she should be somewhere like The Retreat where they offer the right kind of therapy or Khiron House.   I DO NOT FEEL THIS HOSPITAL IS THE RIGHT PLACE FOR ELIZABETH AT ALL.

I will be talking to Dr Shakeel Ahmad tomorrow evening.  I do not like the way staff are threatening Elizabeth and do not feel this is care at all.

As I arrived and was waiting to be taken in, I spoke to a very nice lady in reception who was the OT.   I told her that I was most concerned that my daughter sounded so bad on the phone and that was why I came up on the spur of the moment.   I told her that whilst it is good they offered therapy – they have two psychologists and she is the OT I voiced my concerns that if Elizabeth was so drugged up they would not be able to work with her.   If all this hospital is doing is overdrugging her then I am going to contact everyone paying for this facility to say this is wrong for her.   She should be sent to somewhere that have beautiful grounds and the right kind of therapy like The Retreat.   After all Elizabeth is a victim of violent abuse at the Moti Villa Scheme.    I wrote to Dr Shakeel Ahmad and told him that Police were involved in this so no way should Elizabeth be drugged up to the hilt.   Also I said that Rispiriedon had the effect of causing a rash to Elizabeth and have the files to prove it.   She should not be given anti-psychotic drugs for complex PTSD and the whole environment there is completely wrong for her to get well.

Elizabeth does not appear to be happy and neither am I.

Whilst visiting Elizabeth she has given consent to many people who are very interested in what is going on and wish to help right now.   I am so lucky I have such good friends who really care.   It is so easy to get lost in the system in a place like this where the policy is NO PHONES.

MESSAGE TO ENFIELD BARNET AND HARINGEY MH TRUST AND ENFIELD CCG PEPPA AUBYN

If they continue to drug the way they are doing I want my daughter OUT.   I want her placed in the right facility and this is not the right facility at all as it is yet another ward full of acutely ill patients drugged up and it does not have lovely grounds like the Retreat or Khiron House.   I know the other two places are further out but we sent Elizabeth away to Scotland, then Europe (France and Spain) then Australia.    I am devastated that she has gone downhill thanks to lack of support locally.

THIS FACILITY IS COSTING THE TAXPAYER A FORTUNE.  PLEASE PROVIDE THE RIGHT FACILITY IF YOU ARE PAYING OUT MONEY AS IF NO PROPER ASSESSMENTS ARE DONE HERE FOR ASPERGERS AND COMPLEX PTSD – IF NO THERAPY SUCH AS EMDR/PSYCOTHERAPY IS ON OFFER THEN THIS IS THE WRONG FACILITY AND MUST BE COSTING AROUND £12500 PER WEEK LIKE CYGNET.

There are several friends of mine who would like to work with Elizabeth and to one she said “I really trust you –  I could get well if you worked with me –  these words were said to one of my friends who is more like family.  Another friend is already working as a support worker freelance and was quite interested in considering more hours.   Both friends themselves are carers to someone in their family so have much understanding and I’ve known them for years.

Elizabeth cannot go back to the scheme.   She would probably benefit from her own place not shared but with off site support or support within grounds.  She would not benefit from a shared house with structured programme.  She just needs somewhere peaceful.    Most of all Elizabeth would benefit from getting right away from this area of Enfield and into a more peaceful location where there is no pressures put upon her.   All I want is for her to get well and I have proven that with proper care and right environment this is entirely possible.

I have spent most of the day trying to get through to Elizabeth and so have others.  The phone has been in the office and I was told by Kate the staff nurse that they have an in-house policy not to give mobile phones to patients which must surely be in breach of  human rights – something like this occurred in Cambian and I will feature the solicitors response in another blog.

Isolated from home and family it must be a terrifying experience to be on a PICU and this is entirely the wrong place to put Elizabeth amongst very acutely ill patients as this has done nothing for her in the past and just brought her down.   It must be costing an absolute fortune to my local area ENFIELD and I assume that the CCG in Enfield are paying this to this private corporate owned “hospital”.       I was so concerned to hear Elizabeth’s slurred voice that I asked to leave early in order that I could visit at the end of the day.  Informed the ward that I would come and I have also informed them that I would visit on Saturday too.   Visiting hours are between 4.30 – 5.30 and 6.30 – 7.30 mon-Friday.   I will document about my visit on a separate blog.

The only way I can contact Elizabeth is via the patient’s phone right now.   They will not give the phone back with the contract chip in to Elizabeth as they think it is a camera phone but I do not think it has any memory card that you can actually use it as a camera phone but nevertheless I will get her another phone as she should not be without it.

I spoke to the Manager Wellie Mbongwana and told him I was very unhappy.   El;izabeth did have another phone but the contract chip was in the one they suspected as having a camera and so many people were trying to get through to her.

This private hospital is owned by Four Seasons Healthcare and Mr Wiston Dzingai Magunda is the Registered Provider under Regency House Limited who are based at Norcliffe House, Station Road  SK9 1BU Wilmslow  –  I have got all the details of all the Directors under http://www.bizdb.co.uk/company/regencyh-house-limited-02135982

Website:   www.fshc.co.uk     Phone 01625417800

Huntercombe Hospital is described as offering medical services for:

• persons requiring nursing or personal care;
• assessment or treatment for persons with mental health issues
• diagnosis and screening
• treatment of diseases, disorders and injuries

Service Users:

• people with mental health problems
• older people
• Mental Health Act detainees
• Younger adults

I have picked up a form where they ask for your thoughts on experience of the service.   I shall think about this very carefully as I am due to speak tomorrow with Dr Shakeel Ahmad from Huntercombe.   He is the Responsible Clinician

Today I heard by through some solicitors Elizabeth was appointing that she is being transferred somewhere else from Suffolk Ward.  Noone had bothered to tell me from the ward so I telephoned Suffolk ward and spoke to Karina who said she could not tell me where Elizabeth was being transferred.   I then wrote to the Chief Executive Maria Kane,  Gina Hall – PA to Mary Sexton, I informed close friends and family and asked if others could find out information.   According to Karina Elizabeth did not want me to know yet it was Elizabeth herself who contacted me to tell me so this does not appear to be correct.   Elizabeth told me she had now been transferred to Huntercombe Hospital and that two of her friends from Suffolk ward were also there.   I had not visited Elizabeth whilst at Suffolk Ward as we were away and I wanted Elizabeth to sort things out for herself and not be reliant upon me.   I had accumulated a massive parking fine at Chase Farm Hospital of £200 as I was rushing around taking things to her and collecting things and I have to say that I am grateful Gemini for not enforcing this fine as I had realised and returned to the car park to pay.

I’d never heard of Hunterscombe Hospital before but have been to Roehampton to attend the wonderful conference called “More Harm Than Good” a while back with Elizabeth.  I decided to visit at the end of the day after getting the call from Elizabeth but was not sure where the Hunterscombe hospital was situated and so got a taxi there.  It is very awkward for me to get to in terms of journey.  It is a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit for patients in crisis but Elizabeth was not happy in the scheme and needed to go somewhere peaceful, quiet in a natural environment not another locked ward.   Elizabeth has been in such wards through Cygnet, Cambian and the Bethlem.   They have not benefitted her at all and did not properly assess her despite the huge amount of money spent by the local area.

The Huntercombe Hospital leaflet states:

“we operate in largely the same way as other NHS hospitals.   Patients say for short periods of time between 2 – 3 weeks.    Under “Our Care”  –   “We support change through a multi disciplinary team approach provided by Drs, nursing staff, occupational therapists, psychological therapists and other support staff.      MEDICATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TREATMENT PROCESS PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF REDUCING SYMPTOMS AND DISTRESS.   They have a therapy garden, gym, art room and OT kitchen off the ward.

There are social workers who support patients with their welfare needs.    Liaison with care coordinator from individual’s home team.    I absolutely despair as Elizabeth did not appear to get on with her care coordinator and after all the safeguarding we feel very upset about the things that have been said and encouraged by her and others recorded in minutes (which I have) behind our backs.

I left some money for Elizabeth today.  I brought her drinks and two healthy sandwiches.

Because of visiting hours and only one visiting room it says in the leaflet that all visits must be prearranged and booked in with ward so this is restricting in itself.      They were accommodating to me be fair tonight as I had in fact just turned up not knowing these facts and had spent a lot of money on a taxi just to drop in some money and drinks and to let Elizabeth know that I cared but she looked extremely traumatised.

Just like Cygnet and Cambian you have to leave things in lockers like phones – fair enough camera phones are not allowed on the ward.

Visiting hours are between 16.30 – 17.30 and 18.30 – 19.30 Mon-Fri

Weekends and Bank Holidays – 14.00-17.30 and 18.30-19.30.    I arrived not long before 19.30 today – hardly worth me going but Elizabeth looked very sad and I could not stay long due to visiting hours restrictions.

Elizabeth is on a ward called Upper Richmond Ward.

“It is our duty and legal responsibility to consult with patients before any information about them is shared with carers”

When I asked if Elizabeth had her mobile phone I was told that staff needed to check her possessions first and why could I not phone through the office.  So I told them that it was her right to have her phone and that I only wanted to speak to Elizabeth via her mobile not the office and am paying for a contract on her phone in any case.  So the member of staff told me she would have her phone tomorrow.

“Sometimes patients in our care have specific long term needs we can only begin to address with them during their time with us.”    Well those long term needs certainly cannot be addressed on yet another similar locked facility as previous environments have failed to even assess properly and this is all costing ENFIELD BARNET AND HARINGEY MH TRUST AN ABSOLUTE FORTUNE.  Why don’t you have local facilities under the NHS?

I appreciate that Elizabeth needs to be stabilised but changes are stressful and sometimes it just takes a little while to settle down and get used to a place and with therapy on offer then this should be the priority in a case where someone has suffered extensive abuse as Elizabeth has done under care itself.     On Suffolk Ward and other previous locked wards amongst volatile patients Elizabeth has suffered further trauma – this is NOT the right environment long term.   Already a fortune has been spent over about 15 weeks on acute wards and trying to just place her in the community into a scheme (Simiks Baytree Care) –  without the necessary therapy is in itself negligent.  Ive already mentioned there was no toilet or running water when she moved in to the scheme.   There was a wonderful care support worker to begin with who got on well with Elizabeth and seemed to really understand her and I was full of hope that she would settle down but it was not to be as there was a structured programme she was meant to take part in when all she wanted was peace.     It was about targets and meetings/progress and all this was extremely distressing for Elizabeth.     They had built a medicine room and Elizabeth was very distressed about this.  I did advise her to take some lorazepam when really stressed out but it was obvious that just placing her there was a disaster.    I have yet to go and pick up all her possessions and assume that my local area is still paying for the scheme on top of enormous amounts of money for private sector acute locked ward who I hope will address the trauma and not just drug her to the hilt.

Whilst I did not agree with Lorazepam being offered twice daily I did say to Elizabeth that she should take the odd tablet to avoid any negative situations but she did not seem to be happy in that scheme.     I also do not think she was eating healthily and this was something we helped her with at home.  Also Elizabeth was suffering from a lot of physical pain.   She would complain about her back, her shoulder hurting, headaches.    She was over 100 days off all psychiatric drugs.  They say it can take 5 years to fully recover.    It was not my idea for her to suddenly stop taking the Aripiprazole as she was on just 2mg.   Elizabeth did not want to take anything but this led to her ending up on the acute wards once again.  Now I am worried that at this hospital, Huntercombe, they will forcibly restrain in order to forcibly drug her and she will end up like one of those patients she has been witness to throughout her time on Cygnet Beckton, Edware Trent Ward and Suffolk Ward.  I often received really distressed calls from my daughter telling me about what she had seen and heard on the acute wards.  It really distressed and traumatised Elizabeth to see the most shocking sights and tonight I feel very sad at the current situation.

Elizabeth’s distress has been seen in her behaviour recently – I believe she has been acting out her pain due to violence encountered on these acute wards.  I just wish she could get right away from everything and be in a natural environment like she was last year.

This private hospital (Huntercombe) is owned by FOUR SEASONS HEALTHCARE – I don’t know where their Head Office is based but I will look them up.   Tel 01625 417800 – Head Office number.

Dr Shakeel is the Responsible Clinician for Upper Richmond Ward.

The hospital Director is Wiz Magunda

The ward manager is Wellie Mbongwana

Social Work:  Sharon Saad Gouda

Talking of social workers although I have had nothing but bad experience locally apart from those involved in my father’s care I travelled home part of the way with a very nice social worker.

Anyone reading files will see that I am written about behind my back in the most nasty manner.  It is horrifying what goes on at safeguarding meetings and Elizabeth has always said that she wanted everyone to be included – the whole family.    I am pleased that Barnet Enfield and Haringey MH Trust now need to change their procedures as per the outcome of our complaint having seen such minutes.     I would not be writing openly if I had abused my daughter and if anything, she has received the most terrible abuse under care itself.   This is something that does not seem to be addressed under safeguarding.

The only time I have seen Elizabeth well was when through Hypnotherapy by Susan Hepburn on two occasions and sending her away with private MH professionals who helped her to challenge her fears and rebuild her confidence.     We did not recognise her when she came back.      Shows what can be done with therapy alone but she was on only a very tiny portion of drugs at the time.

Anyway it is too early for me to comment as I hope that this hospital Huntercombe offer an assessment into Aspergers which goes right back in the files to 2009 and mentioned by more than one professional who disagree with the label of paranoid schizophrenia treatment resistant.    Treatment resistance of course means that someone cannot metabolise the drugs.  I also hope they give a proper assessment into complex PTSD as after all Elizabeth suffered extensive abuse whilst at Moti Villa back in 2010.    I had extensive P450 liver enzyme tests done on this by world leading experts which proved she is unable to metabolise the drugs.    I have to say that even Cygnet Beckton respected the test results and did not forcibly drug my daughter.   Local NHS wards also respected Elizabeth’s wish to be medication free but here at Huntercombe Hospital they stipulate medication to be an “important part of treatment” but she has been on practically every drug going and none worked and we have seen serious reactions to more than one drug especially Aripiprazole and Clozapine was really bad too.    Elizabeth did not get on with this drug and it caused her heart problems – tachycardia on Clozapine.    Metformine was NOT given for weight loss as we were advised but it was discovered she had endocrine problems so I hope this hospital will refer her to an endocrinologist as I have extensive reports on this.   PLEASE LOOK AT HER PHYSICAL HEALTH BEFORE YOU DRUG ELIZABETH.

Anyway hopefully it will be allowed by Hunterscombe Hospital that Elizabeth can take part in the research for antibodies/immune system that she already agreed to do.   It is really important that her physical health is not ignored in favour of drugging her.

Elizabeth had already contacted solicitors and the researcher so I’ll keep you all informed.

The future:

I still cannot rule out a happy future for Elizabeth one day but I do not think that her future is in London or mine forever.  I do not feel I have anyone I could turn to healthwise in my local area having read what I have read.       Other members of the family have moved out to quieter areas and close to the sea that offer a better quality of life that could benefit Elizabeth rather than the fast pace of London.    A natural environment really helped Elizabeth to get well so I will challenge any long stay on locked wards which have proved non-beneficial in the past and extremely damaging to Elizabeth and costly to my local area who are supposed to be short of funds.   I hope this Hunterscombe does proper assessments unlike Cygnet.   An assessment should not take years on end.   I know people trapped on such secure wards for a lifetime and feel that Elizabeth – a victim of abuse under care itself does not deserve to be drugged to  the hilt or trapped for many years to come at the expense of the local area of ENFIELD.

Home:

I would like to provide a home for Elizabeth of her own one day and would love to see her independent and happy with a dog/animals that are so therapeutic.  I would like her to have people of her choice to be support workers not someone writing down every sentence and word and reporting upon it.  We have a lovely cat at home which no doubt Elizabeth misses and at the scheme where Elizabeth was placed locally there were no pets allowed.   If only the local area had transferred her to somewhere like Camphill Community Trust or care farms.     A care farm is somewhere where Elizabeth could get well not on a locked ward.    The Retreat also had the most beautiful grounds and offered a suitable long term programme of therapy.

If Elizabeth was given psychotherapy again and art/music therapy I think she could get well but first no pressure should be put on her to take anti-psychotics for complex ptsd as this is not recommended under NICE guidelines.

I do believe the odd lorazepam is not so bad but not huge dosage of mind altering drugs.   is so important too.     So it would seem that Enfield have transferred more than one patient to Hunterscombe. Environment is so important but locally, questions should be asked why when a school is being built on hospital land along with housing and new hospital – what is being done in investing in mental health care facilities that offer the right kind of care for complex PTSD/learning disability under Enfield Barnet and Haringey MH Trust.   I might as well put this question to Joan Ryan MP as if all this money is being spent on private sector locked wards costing as much as £12500 per week – what on earth is going on.

I identified Khiron House or The Retreat who do a year long programme for abuse victims but your views as a carer are just ignored.  ELIZABETH WAS ABUSED UNDER YOUR CARE –  UNDER THE MOTI VILLA SCHEME IN THE COMMUNITY.  When she returned from Australia Elizabeth was telling everyone about it.  Therefore her diagnosis should in fact be complex PTSD WHICH NEEDS TRAUMA THERAPY NOT HUGE AMOUNTS OF DRUGS.

Placements:

After 13+ weeks on various acute wards withdrawing from Abilify in untherapeutic, volatile environment, I was concerned at Elizabeth being placed immediately in the community.  I felt she would have benefitted from a quieter environment to adjust before being thrown into a placement.  Not one underlying issue was dealt with on the acute wards and she was further traumatised so at £900 per night this I felt this to be a waste of public money and I wondered why there was not specialised centres in every area as I see a lot of building/development going on at Chace Farm Hospital but it does not seem like MH is being invested in as I would like to see.

I wrote to Enfield CCG as I hoped they could get something in place in case the scheme failed a second time.  I wanted Elizabeth to go somewhere specialised where she could get proper help like we provided privately but it would seem there are not many places that offer special help and I could only find two -Khiron House and The Retreat which would have required specialist funding.   A year’s programme would have ensured that underlying issues would be addressed properly and Elizabeth would not be returning back to acute wards again and considering what had happened to her in a previous scheme I felt that this was the least they could do – provide the correct treatment for Elizabeth in the circumstances.

Back in 2012 Dr Bob Johnson produced a very accurate report and identified “PTSD”.   More recently Dr Mukherjee also mentioned complex PTSD and possible learning disability which required assessment.    The private MH professionals recognised this too and they should know as they had her stay for four months however East Enfield Recovery Team have dismissed this diagnosis in favour of “paranoid schizophrenia” and they have suddenly dropped “chronic treatment resistant” .   It is obvious to the entire family that Elizabeth has PTSD with dissociation as she has retreated into being a young teenager and says things like “I’m only half grown”.   I remind her she is 30 but this has no effect and she needs therapy for her condition which is quite specialist therapy.

Enfield CCG’s letter dated 31st May 2017

“NHS Enfield CCG is a commissioning organisation not a provider of services.   As a commissioning organisation we commission our specialist mental health provider, Barnet Enfield and Haringey MH Trust (BEHMHT) to provide specialist treatment, care and support and treatment for people with MH issues with a GP in Enfield.  This includes:

Providing treatment, care and support in line with the MHA 1983 (I hope Theresa May scraps this asap);

Developing needs assessments, care/support plans and risk management plans with individuals and their support network, where appropriate.

Providing care coordination , support and reviews in line with Care Programme Approach (CPA) and other statutory responsibilities.

Providing evidenced based treatment, care, support and wellbeing interventions in line with individual care and support plans that are safe, person centred and clinically appropriate.

Ensuring that patients have access to appropriate advocacy, information, guidance and support.   (Well if this was true why wasn’t an advocate provided in the recent safeguarding?) .

From time to time people with more complex needs will require greater intensive therapy or treatment than BEHMHT is able to provide under current commissioning arrangements.  (now this paragraph is applicable to Elizabeth).

“The MDT (Multi Disciplinary Team) supporting the individual will hold a needs assessment and review meeting with the individual and their support network, where appropriate, will agree a set of clinical outcomes and where appropriate will  request funding for any ongoing specialist treatment or placement from the most appropriate statutory organisation.  This could be the CCG, NHS England, Local Authority, Housing Dept/and/or Education Service.  This would be dependent upon clinical outcomes and assessment of need, taking into consideration the capacity of the individual, best interest of the individual (Duty of Care) and their needs/aspirations/recovery goals.”

Family or carers not included. Need for specialist treatment for complex PTSD unavailable in my area has been ignored.  I am disappointed with the letter by Deborah McBeal (Deputy Chief Officer).

Conclusion appears to have been made that the supported living scheme is most appropriate, despite this failing two weeks ago and Elizabeth sent back to ward.   According to Mary Sexton (Executive Director of Nursing, Quality and Governance)  the scheme are supposed now to provide qualified nurses however I do not think this is the case.  The scheme have a supply of the highly addictive drug Lorazepam obtained for Elizabeth and their support workers are giving this to Elizabeth twice daily which may make her feel better than she did on anti-psychotics but my concern is this drug is highly addictive.  I therefore made her aware of this fact today.  This drug is being given by support workers, not qualified nurses and I said to the support worker today that it was unacceptable to give this drug  twice-daily basis the way they are doing.   They should keep a supply of it in case of need and offer very occasionally as a last resort but it would seem that it is the easy solution  to just drug her with something else and just like in hospitals control them and I think this is terrible.   It is really awful to become addicted to such a drug and after coming off anti-psychotics after 11 years she is bound to feel pain and discomfort.  I would prefer natural solutions to this not yet more dangerous chemicals.

I wrote to the Commissioners as it had been identified years ago Elizabeth needs were “intensive trauma therapy” for PTSD but this had never been provided.    The care on the acute ward everyone agreed this unsuitable but now I do not think the scheme is either if they are regularly drugging her with highly addictive lorazepam.

I was advised East Enfield Locality MH Team (Service Manager George Benyure and Consultant Dr Basit Hussain) are those supporting Elizabeth but look at the support we have had in the past whilst Elizabeth was at home – we had no support and we requested direct payments.   Elizabeth was unstable on Abilify but nothing was done about it.    Whilst at another placement she was taken by 3 members of staff to Safeguarding Meetings consisting of 9 professionals with the intention of destroying me so I can see from the contents of the minutes.  This was not about care and they even suggested that Elizabeth found Clozapine helpful which was FAR FROM TRUE.  I have so many witnesses who will tell you that this talc and aspartame drug was actually causing so  many problems, the most serious being loss of control of her tongue.   Cygnet Stevenage raised the Abilify to 20mg just before release making her unstable.    This terrible drug caused shocking adverse reaction.  It is hard to have faith when you look at the care plan and see “paranoid schizophrenia repeated time after time and they have missed out huge chunks of the file and reports.  This goes against duty of care and best interest if they do not look further into complex PTSD and learning disability and ensure that the correct therapy is given.

Duty of Care and Best Interest:

Dr Mukherjee (Clinical Psychologist) has correctly identified complex PTSD and possible learning disability.   This would tie in 100% with the private MH professionals who  know Elizabeth as they had her stay with them for four months.  I would agree with Dr Mukherjee.   However the problem is that the East Enfield Locality MH Team in their last care assessment put nothing but “paranoid schizophrenia” and huge chunks of the file records had been ignored.     All these years – 11 years Elizabeth has been misdiagnosed but the team just stick with “paranoid schizophrenia”.  I have not seen the latest care plan but would not be surprised if this remains the same as I it would seem that they do not wish to provide the therapeutic care that is so much needed.   Unfortunately we as a family do not have faith in a Support team who have failed to offer correct treatment for the complex PTSD (if someone has suffered extensive abuse like Elizabeth at a previous scheme in the community) this should be the correct diagnosis.  Instead they stick to paranoid schizophrenia missing out huge chunks of the file that contradicts this.  Instead of  therapy Elizabeth has been drugged extensively over 11 years with enormous quantities of mind altering drugs.  Abilify continued to be prescribed despite a serious incident whilst on it – If we had not taken her away I doubt whether this “treatment” regime would have ever changed.  Manufacturer’s instructions clearly state “for Bi Polar and Schizophrenia”  NOT PTSD and also for up to 12 weeks only.  Why do Doctors just ignore this?   I as a mother look into things properly and check the ingredients, the manufacturers instructions etc.    We sent her away to have proper care staying with a wonderful team of professionals from “Working to Recovery who worked with her on underlying issues that had never been dealt with before and they were getting somewhere too.   All these years she’s had the wrong treatment/wrong label – no wonder she gets angry but this could also be because of injury and now I would like every physical health check done on her.

The name Peppa Aubyn (Head of MH Commissioning) is mentioned and it is suggested I contact her.   Well I have done twice and I have not had the courtesy of a reply to my emails.

So it is a waste of time writing like I’ve done to the CCG and getting a response referring me to the support team of East Enfield Recovery Team who also just like Peppa Aubyn do not bother to respond to emails but yet they had time to attend safeguarding meetings which were all about me accusing me of abusing my daughter and I would rather be judged by the world than these people who know nothing about my family whatsoever.

“when asked Elizabeth said that clozapine was helpful”   OH NO SHE DID NOT –  I showed her these comments in the shocking minutes which I have copies of.

What I would have liked to see:

Somewhere like The Retreat –  beautiful grounds where they could work on trauma extensively and deal with the effects of the abuse that has caused Elizabeth to retreat to being a young teenager in her mind. Somewhere where they deal with dissociation as Elizabeth has blocked painful memories.   Psychotherapy to get to the root of the problem and to look at the reasons for her actions.  Proper counselling needs to be given and therapy as you cannot drug someone and heal their pain for trauma/abuse.   EMDR is supposed to be good.  There is nowhere in my local area that provides the right kind of care and if someone has flashbacks then this is quite negligent to just place that person into the community without proper treatment.

The Scheme:

The scheme is a nice house.  It has a nice garden and is in a nice area close to Doctor/Dentist and facilities.

Whilst I know Elizabeth would prefer to be close to her family at the same time, she could make a complete recovery if she is given the right care on a long term programme but not in a prison environment and as something bad has happened to her under the care of the local area previously, then I feel this should be provided.

The scheme has a no tolerance policy -they cannot possibly deal with any underlying issues there.    Nevertheless I am pleased she is out of hospital and it has been so awful seeing her back on the acute wards again.

East Locality MH Team is managed by George Benyure who was present at the recent safeguarding along with care coordinator as well as Dr Basit Hussain Consultant.

I AM MOST CONCERNED:

Today I have found out Lorazepam is being offered to Elizabeth twice daily and I feel should be given sparingly in case of extreme need not regularly like this. This is completely wrong.   This drug is highly addictive.     There is no obligation for anyone to have to take drugs in the community but I have told Elizabeth that if she is agitated only then should she take one of these drugs.    It is all too easy to drug someone up –  it is not the answer and I was told  qualified nurses would be working with Elizabeth and a more experienced psychologist.     I do not think that this is the case although Elizabeth likes the support worker concerned.

I have also asked for Elizabeth to be included in the auto-immune research of Professor Belinda Lennox regarding antibodies attacking the immune system.   I would like everything checked out thoroughly as regards Elizabeth’s physical health.

I have seen an article dating back to 2014 through Rethink where Clinical Psychologist Kajori Mukherjee spoke at a summit which brought together NHS leaders from across England to identify problems in the system that are preventing investment in quality services for people with Schizophrenia and psychosis which was organised by Rethink.

Early Intervention:

The only intervention I have seen is drugs.   These drugs can be given to a child not tried and tested as I have seen in my own family when that child has experienced trauma – it was not counselling that was on offer.

Inpatient Care:

I would agree this is expensive especially private sector wards costing £12500 per week that are quick to prescribe drugs and not to assess someone properly so in actual fact a complete waste of money so I have seen.

NHS in-patient ward is also not therapeutic – there is much improvement that could be made to the wards – no safes working and Elizabeth has had possessions stolen.  Nothing to do at weekends.  If there are very disturbed patients then the atmosphere can be volatile and noisy and threatening – not the right place for trauma victims or for anyone to get well.

“we’re absolutely committed to making sure people with mental health problems get the same standard of care as those with physical illnesses – we-re always looking for new ideas for how we can do things better and how we can use the resource we have as effectively as possible”    –  I would suggest turning to http://www.working-to-recovery in that case as my daughter came back well and we have never seen such improvement.  There was no need to drug people, forcibly inject or give them ECT and Elizabeth was treated in a humane manner.     It was discovered during her stay with MH professionals we provided privately that (just like back in 2008) it was thought Elizabeth had a learning disability not Schizophrenia for which there is no such thing in any case as I have proof of this.  So all along vast sums of money have been wasted giving the wrong care of enormous quantities of mind altering drugs without thought for her physical health or correct diagnosis.

It is all very well stating about saving money in the community but if there is not the staff trained like Working to Recovery then there is no tolerance and no understanding in how to deal with that person, especially if they have a learning disability rather than a mental illness.

I  would point out to Victoria Bleazard that vast sums of money are wasted under the mental health system – going to the private sector who provide similar “care” in prison like facilities costing an absolute fortune per week.   I would point out that patients are being over-drugged and that leads to physical health problems instead of looking to see if there are any underlying physical health problems that may be the cause of the so called symptoms.   You cannot treat a rape and abuse victim with huge quantities of drugs as these will not be effective and neither are they recommended under NICE Guidelines.

If there is a conflict of opinion by professionals this is not taken seriously and ignored.  That leads to someone having a lifetime of wrong treatment.   Treatment is experimentation by use of  mind altering drugs that not everyone can metabolise.   No endocrinal tests are given  as a matter of course.  Proper therapy such as EMDR/psychotherapy are not given in favour of drugging so that person is discharged into the community without having any underlying issues dealt.    If they suffer from PTSD and affected by trauma then this is very bad as that person can react to triggering situations but if given the right care before discharge then that person can get well and the right care is not drugs that do not work and if someone cannot metabolise these drugs they this can result in psychosis.  The drugs themselves cause psychosis.

The drugs have done nothing for Elizabeth except make her ill – a complete and utter waste of money.   It has been terrible to watch Elizabeth having difficulty swallowing, choking and complaining of not being able to control her tongue, feeling dizzy, feeling constantly tired and piling of weight and also she has felt suicidal on the drugs and now they are talking about drugging again and I fear that they wish to dump her back to the same scheme as the cheapest option without any appropriate therapy by qualified staff or nice things such as music and art therapy like we provided.   I am fed up with hearing about cuts to spending when I see huge amounts wasted on private sector care which is no better.

If there was a particular type of private sector care like I have identified (not owned by multi-billion dollar corporate providers all for profit) then that is a different matter and not a waste of money.   I would rather Elizabeth be sent first to one of the wonderful places that I have identified who offer the right kind of care, before placement into the community after 13 weeks on acute wards where she was further traumatised.

When someone returns to the ward like a revolving door case to hospital it is a waste of money because the care in the community has failed because it is insufficient and does not offer tolerance/understanding in cases of learning disability.

When we had Elizabeth at home we have nothing in terms of support and that was the biggest saving all along.

In schemes people can go downhill if they do not eat properly.     Elizabeth feels tired and just wants to be left alone – she is amongst staff instead of family but if we had been given support via the learning disability department when she came home then things might have been different.  However the issues of complex PTSD had never been dealt with over 11 years and cannot be on acute wards or scheme.   This is much more specialised and I think it is wrong to just immediately place someone in the community without addressing these issues (not by the use of drugs which are not recommended under NICE guidelines) but by proper therapy and why isn’t this proper therapy available in every local area as people are not getting the correct care?

Assessments Prior to Sectioning:

“if it appears the detained person may have a learning disability, every effort must be made to have that person assessed by a specialist in Learning Disability or to seek specialist advice if other services are unable to attend, unless this would lead to unacceptable delays in completing the assessment” .

Discharge Policy:

Can vary from hospital to hospital but here are some comments therein:

“Occasionally such a transfer will need to take place at short notice to ensure we have enough available beds in this hospital to admit and care for acutely ill patients.”  It is important that you, your family and friends understand that you may not be able to stay in hospital whilst waiting for longer term arrangements to be made.  We will work closely with you and ensure you are kept fully informed.”     –  We as a family were only told at the last minute that Elizabeth was moving – I felt happy for her on the one hand but did not agree with their decision as I knew that underlying issues were not resolved or treated.  I felt that this was not good at all and that they should have looked at the places I recommended that could have provided a year long programme that would really tackle the serious underlying issues as a result of being abused under previous care in the community.

It is also documented that :  Communication and consultation with the patient, their family and carers are of prime importance in ensuring patient experiences care as a coherent and coordinated pathway.    This is not my experience –  it is hard to get through to people sometimes on the phone.   The Responsible Clinician has never phoned me back.   My daughter was not consulted that they were cancelling her solicitors to appeal on Section 2.

It has been horrible to see Elizabeth on the ward over this Bank Holiday weekend – it would have benefitted her to be able to stroll out in the grounds as she has been allowed before so I see this as punishment – total punishment by the Doctors concerned and it is all about power and control as patients are not treated as “patients” but criminals.

Transfer to community has failed as the main concern was getting her out of hospital so that a bed was available for someone else but how could a risk assessment have been done properly with due regard to health and safety when “services” were not even up and running until later on the next day.

I would conclude that I am disappointed in the procedures that have failed and will not attend tomorrow’s meeting but am sending carers to represent Elizabeth in my absence.

What I would like to see:

I would have preferred her to go on a long term programme – not more than a year at The Retreat or Khiron House or Amitola Community.   If she is to return to that scheme then I would like to see her left completely alone in order that she can do things in her own time and adjust and then she will join in.    It should be respected that Elizabeth still feels the physical pain from withdrawal of anti-psychotic drugs given to her over the past 11 years, none of them have worked.   I would like to see her get the right kind of care but so would so many others that I am in touch with and what needs to be thought of is the kind of training given and I have proven what works with Elizabeth – a different approach needs to be taken in some cases.

I am also supposed to be speaking to The Executive Director of Patient Services tomorrow.   I doubt Elizabeth has even seen her care plan.  She does not have an advocate so I am providing advocates myself who are totally independent and they need to get those safes fixed as a matter of urgency.

It is not good that there is nothing to do at the weekends when if less money was spent on private sector care all of this could be provided.

THE SYSTEM IS STIGMA

Any patient requiring ‘Section 17’  permission from the Secretary of State for Prisons using Page 17 of the following guidance Section-17-leave-guidance.pdf. Of course a Psychiatric patient does not get to read the whole pdf.  They are only shown Page 17 because to do so would reveal that they are part of the prison justice system viewed as mere criminals.   Below I document the full and ugly truth that patients under the MH Act are not being told:

https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/offenders/mentally-disordered-offenders/mhcs-section-17-leave-guidance.pdf

Suffolk Ward, Chase Farm Hospital Enfield:

Control and power is in the hands of the Responsible Clinician and in Elizabeth’s case this is Dr Matthew Liveras but Dr Liveras did not turn up for the meeting on Tuesday which I took a day off work to attend.    Instead  Dr Joseph Anyaoha attended  along with Psychologist Dr Kajori Mukherjee and Ward Manager Kirk Hopwell.   All admitted she was in the wrong place on the acute ward but how comes she has been stuck acute wards for as long as 13 weeks and why wasn’t she placed somewhere suitable where underlying issues could be addressed?    She was discharged from hospital without having appropriate care with none of the underlying issues addressed.  I had discovered prior to the meeting that somebody had cancelled Elizabeth’s chance of appeal against Section 2 and found out the name from her solicitors who were due to meet her the next day.  I telephoned the MHA Office to speak to the person concerned who I was told by the manager was on leave.  During the week Elizabeth was visited by a Psychiatrist who suggested she should not appeal but surely any patient has the right to appeal under the Mental Health Act? When I phoned the MHA Office the following day I was again told the person who cancelled her solicitors was not there and the manager was on leave.

Section 17 normally grants leave for up to two hours daily but this is discretionary and can be declined leaving a patient as total prisoner – there are vulnerable patients being held all over this Country right now in institutions for over 8 years, some of whom have learning disabilities.  They are treated like criminals.   The longer someone is incarcerated it results in the vulnerable patient displaying emotions which can lead to longer detention and doctors justifying the right to give medication forcibly under Section 3, some of this medication is unsuitable for the condition of the patient and their physical health is overlooked and their rights completely stripped.   The MHA is not there to protect the vulnerable patient as I have revealed as this can be manipulated by the professionals and under private sector hospitals owned by Corporations there is a lot of profit being made by keeping patients incarcerated long term.

I have seen Elizabeth’s face covered in bruises at the Royal Bethlem Hospital Fitzmary II Ward. – a lead nurse (AC) said “I’m happy with that” but would not explain further.   This is all denied by the bulk of the team – she could have been beaten, she could have hit her head in despair on the walls.   Hardly any visitors to this ward where she was referred by Professor Murray for a drug free period of assessment.   Immediately pressure was put on her to agree to take Clozapine which was against her wishes.  Suddenly she was sectioned and her leave cut whereas she had been going out with me all day visiting the surrounding area without any problem.   Suddenly Elizabeth was not well – I would get the most distressing calls that she did not know which tablets to take.   They had put her on maximum levels of Olanzapine mixed with Quetiapine.     Then they introduced Metformine with Clozapine contraindicated drugs as they had discovered something plhysically wrong but they tried to make out this was for weight loss.  However I proved otherwise by having Endocrinology tests done myself privately.

Stigmatising Trauma Victims:

Many under MH care are victims of abuse of violence/sexual abuse themselves but are not getting the right care.   Instead they are being treated like prisoners/criminals.   You dont have to commit any crime to be held under Section.  A Section is the ultimate means of control and punishment – not care.  There are some who have learning disabilities treated this way and others who are suicidal.  Elizabeth suffers from PTSD and is a victim of crime and has have anger issues understandably as instead of care she has received punishment and enormous quantities of drugs.   No amount of drugs can cure abuse victims trauma – they need therapy not drugs and if the “crime” happened whilst under their “care” then I believe they should receive the correct treatment such as psychotherapy or EMDR and not drugs.   Everyone is dumped together on such wards and to some these wards known as “place of safety” can be a terrifying experience.    Elizabeth has suffered extreme violence since being on Suffolk Ward.   She was   constantly hit around the head by another patient, forcibly dragged into the seclusion room and injected by several members of nursing staff, her new slippers split.   This is allowed to go on under the law.    I have heard screaming coming from the seclusion room in Suffolk Ward which is used frequently for long periods of time so I have heard.    The only criteria for release is if someone’s behaviour is seen to be “good” – only then will they get leave so they are kept like prisoners and punished.   That punishment can lead to a life sentence of drugging to enormous extent and not being able to see their families, not being able to have leave, being sent hundreds of miles away from home as Elizabeth was to Wales in order to try and sever contact with a family member who happens to be the Nearest Relative.  |Millions of pounds of taxpayers money is being wasted through wrong care, over-drugging, long term incarceration and the legal process of tribunals.   Some patients can become weakened by the large quantities of drugs and some lose capacity and are under control of never ending “punishment” not care.   If a patient is cooped up like a prisoner, denied the basic rights of contact with their families, put on enormous quantities of mind altering drugs whilst under Section then it is no wonder that they can react which only serves to strengthen the position of arguments by a team of professionals that their incarceration be extended and this is punishment to all – this is not care.

It is dishonest to deprive the patient of seeing the full pdf document on Section 17 Leave so I have put the link up for all to see – it is clear that MH patients on the whole are  viewed as offenders and not “patients” but criminals yet if they are victims themselves anything that happens to a MH patient is ignored –  I would call this abuse.

PUNISHMENT:

A MH patient is not receiving correct “care but being held a prisoner under the power of the Secretary of State who gives consent to section 17 leave.   I feel very sad at reading this document in full.

ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGNS:

Anti-stigma campaigns do not reveal the full ugly truth that the system itself is Stigma and biased and crime to patients themselves is just brushed aside by the Police who cannot be bothered to look into things properly.  The legal system is also unfair – if the patient is treated badly by professionals under care or even dies there is no accountability as in the case of Thomas Rawnsley.

ONE SIDED JUSTICE – A System Open to Abuse.

The system is open to abuse giving huge power to Responsible Clinicians – there is no accountability and if something bad happens to the patient this is covered up.

Throughout four months of wonderful care by private professionals that we appointed in desperation Elizabeth came home quite well and they discovered possible learning/developmental disability (this had also been discovered in the files going back to 2008 but dismissed team who stuck with “paranoid Schizophrenia”).  No wonder all these years my daughter has gone downhill and declined and prescribed drugs that should never have been given when all along she had PTSD and it was known what happened to her.  Now psychologist Dr Kajori Mukherjee has had to admit diagnosis to be in question as I have kept brilliant records which show difference of opinion by professionals throughout.   What a waste of public money when over the past 13 weeks Elizabeth has been on various acute wards not receiving the correct care and this too was admitted at the meeting on Tuesday.  Now there is a scheme being paid for in addition to the acute ward.

Total disregard for health and safety and what risk assessment was undertaken by placing her in a scheme in the community that was ill-equipped to deal with her emotional distress and did not even have water or toilet facilities up and running when she moved in?   Instead of leaving her to settle  there seemed to be a structured programme and when Elizabeth felt tired she did not want to join in and overheard conversations like “she is not doing very well” discussed by staff who repeated the manager’s comments after only one week and knowing she was on a month’s trial.    It seems only one person bonded with Elizabeth who was a support worker. As Dr Bob Johnson would say “truth, trust and consent”  and this is applicable as they have a no tolerance policy so the slightest hint of distress or reaction by Elizabeth would result in staff threatening to call police and that threat in itself can be triggering.    Staff were mainly support workers plus a newly graduated psychologist –  they accepted at this scheme but all about her but she should have been sent somewhere quiet and peaceful to recover from her ordeal of acute wards of 13 weeks.    On these acute wards she was traumatised further by being beaten up constantly around the head by another patient and forcibly dragged into the seclusion room to be injected which from what I heard is frequently done and seclusion room used constantly to keep patients in for long periods of time.  This brutal treatment of MH patients is considered to be “care” and is allowed by law to go on in institutions throughout the UK.

Elizabeth has been allowed to withdraw from all psychiatric drugs now after 100 days but doctors are still trying to push drugs at her even though she cannot metabolise them and they never worked.   Highly dangerous mood stabilisers have been offered to her by a psychiatrist on Suffolk Ward not commended for PTSD.  Elizabeth seems to have incurred injury as when you ask her something  it takes a good ten minutes for her to respond – never before was she like this.  Having said this she has fortunately not lost her capacity and thankfully we as a family have Power of Attorney.   Injury to Elizabeth has been caused by excessive amounts of psychiatric drugs given over 11 years for a condition she does not even have as it says in NICE Guidelines that the drugs are not for PTSD sufferers.

Physical Health Problems:

I have had extensive tests done on Elizabeth and physical health checks. Elizabeth is not feeling well and she is complaining of physical pain. I know from talking to other patients who have withdrawn from these drugs that  it can take years to fully recover from the withdrawal effects but thanks to Dr Joanna Moncrieff and the RADAR Programme the effects of long term drugging are finally being researched.  Doctors frequently ignore the manufacturers instructions of up to say 12 weeks and carry on for years plus BNF levels are exceeded and this is all wrong as they are supposed to do no harm to the patient.   So if Elizabeth is tired and does not feel like coming to meetings or taking part in things she should be respected and left alone and not put under any pressure by a team of professionals as Elizabeth has clearly been injured by these drugs.

No Justice for MH Patient Victims – One Sided Punishment:

In 2010 something really serious happened to Elizabeth documented in files to a certain extent and recorded on CCTV camera yet Police just brushed this aside.    Police cannot be bothered when someone is on huge amounts of drugs as they see it that the likelihood of conviction in court is slim.  There was a resident neighbour at the scheme bringing lots of friends late at night whilst staff slept.  They’ve never been questioned and Police say they could not find the CCTV camera yet there was CCTV footage according to my files.  The resident successfully appealed against eviction and remained a neighbour and Elizabeth would react out of fear to get back in hospital.  she once grabbed the wheel of my car “I don’t want to go back there and suffer abuse by lots of men”.  All they did was move her up a floor but she was absolutely terrified to be there.

Police Interviewing of Rape/Abuse Victims:

I don’t think Police should interview victims themselves.    I think they should be interviewed by specialist counsellors from Rape Crisis or similar.   There has been more than one instance where Elizabeth has been interviewed by police men and I think this is totally wrong.  On each occasion the Police have just closed cases but in this case going back to 2010 I have made a fuss about it and will not let it drop.  I’m not going to bother with the complaints procedure by the Police as it is a waste of time but I do want their whole procedures reviewed and insisted on this going right to the top.   Interviewing of victims should not be done by them and a victim should automatically be given counselling and referred to special programmes that deal with trauma so they get correct treatment rather prescription of huge amounts of drugs which only add to their trauma.    I hope that Cressida Dick will take a look at this case sympathetically and consider a complete review of how Police deal with such victims of crime.  I feel if matters had been dealt with more sensitively then lizabeth would have received the correct care and counselling that she so desperately needed and could have recovered by now.   No amount of drugs can help ictims of such terrible crime and abuse so why carry on with the wrong treatment of drugging- why is this allowed by Doctors who are supposed to do no harm?

I would like Elizabeth to go somewhere like The Retreat in beautiful grounds where they can properly work on her trauma.   There is a year long programme called Acorn.  I would like her to receive the correct therapy.

Or I would like Elizabeth to be sent on a residential course for anger management offering treatment such as EMDR for PTSD for a set number of weeks – there are courses arranged through the British Association of Anger Management.   I do not want her sent to a private prison like hospital for an assessment that could go on for the next ten years.

I think it is dreadful that mental health patients are treated so badly as criminals under the Justice System when they are victims themselves.   This is one sided justice and if professionals were able to manage Elizabeth during four months away abroad this shows up the care on offer in the UK which is totally wrong.

If you are going to place someone in the community then ensure that they are going to get the correct treatment not just dump them in a scheme that offers nothing in terms of the psychological help they truly need to come to terms with the terrible abuse that they themselves have suffered under care in Elizabeth’s case.