Psychiatric wards are overcrowded and understaffed? I’d agree.

22 June 2011 | 08:00 AM

Andrew

Topics: Someone who has experienced mental illness, Health professionals, Medication and therapies

My most recent stay in hospital was last October for a week. In a way, I had beg them to admit me - I was sat in A & E and all bandaged up with self-harm injuries, but still they wouldn’t take me.

In the months leading up to this, I’d been asking to be admitted to hospital, but was told there were no beds. I know that a couple of the wards had been closed down and they were understaffed so they were refusing to admit me and I was sent home on my own. It made me feel quite low, it felt like no one was really listening.

I went back the next day with my parents and we had an interview and I was eventually admitted. I was very anxious at that time and was just chucked into a dorm-style ward. It made me very fearful and wish I was at home.

I agree with the Guardian article - it did feel overcrowded there were some people waiting there for beds in other hospitals , which obviously wasn’t helpful for any of us. During my time on the ward, there really wasn’t many staff around and I wasn’t offered any therapeutic activities to do.

I’d been admitted to hospital five years before, but this stay was very different. There had been a lot of changes in the last five years with wards shutting and staff going – it was a big contrast. Before, there were more wards, more staff with time to help and it was less crowded – my time then was better.
Whilst on the ward, I was threatened by another patient. I told staff about this, but they didn’t do anything, so I just wanted to get as far away as I could. I left the hospital and got on a train– I was looking for the furthest place I could go. Eventually the police came to collect me and I was taken back to hospital and greeted by a very rude member of staff which really didn’t help as I was feeling so anxious at the time. I was even taken back to the ward with the same person who had threatened me but this time was moved into a room on my own.

Obviously I went to hospital voluntarily, but I’d never been told when I was there that I could actually leave when I wanted – no one talked through with me what my rights were. I managed to speak with a doctor who agreed I could go home, on the condition I went to a follow-up appointment.
During my stay a lot of the time, there was just one staff member on duty sitting in the lounge, the remaining ones were mostly in the nursing station, holding meetings, so I didn’t really get to see anyone.

If I could suggest some improvements, it would be to have one-to-one time with members of staff, and the option of group work. One afternoon some people came and played some board games with us which was really nice - it gave you something to do. It’s really not beneficial to do nothing, as you spend time thinking about things. Something as simple as playing board games was great, we were made to feel like we were all equal. However, most activities were in the evening, and not on the same floor as our ward – so if you couldn’t leave the ward, then you couldn’t take part.

Leaving hospital marked a turning point. Before I’d gone in, I was going through the process of being referred to my local mental health team, so my doctor chased that up and things were prepared for me when I got out. I was also handed over to the crisis team, which meant people would regularly come and see me. On reflection, I don’t think my stay in hospital was very helpful, but what happened after was – my case was followed up and I’ve now got my own flat.

I’m sure if I was unwell again, I would still go into hospital if need be. But I hope for more staff time and more activities. Members of staff need more training on how to deal with people who are unwell – when you’re already feeling low, staff being rude is just not what you need. Even through my time in hospital was not the best, it’s can be beneficial to people, but things need to change.

Comments

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In response to Tealo

In response to Tealo's comments: Hi - I'm really sorry to hear you've had a bad experience and that you're not happy with the service. We do take complaints seriously, so if you want to say something, take a look at our Complaints page here: http://www.rethink.org/about_rethink/do_you_have_a_complaint/ - which should give you all you need to know in making a complaint about one of our services. Thanks, Chris

2. At 11:37 PM on 19 August 2011 Tealo wrote:

Rethink Experience

I can fully appreciate your experience as I'm going through a very similar situation myself at the moment, though not in hospital, (which was ok but very boring) am in a Rethink house (10 beds) with 4 staff members. Who as far I can tell (including other residents) spend almost all their time sat in the office drinking tea. We usually encounter them in the shared kitchen where especially 2 of the staff routinely make sarcastic comments and make fun of the residents including the difficulties they are experiencing. When residents have asked for their help the usual reply is: That's not our job, You have to do that yourself or I don't know, dismissively followed sometimes with a laugh down the corridor. Then there's the house meetings where we are subject to PC popaganda from Rethink and the latest update on how a member of staff is doing on his NVQ Level 2 course, maths and literacy lessons. But the worst is the room checks where the staff will enter your room even when you are not there of course they have keys to all the rooms and write a rather nasty and very condescending note on what they want cleaned even if your room is tidy and reasonable they will find something like a mark on the carpet left by door opening and closing which is been there for god knows how long with a threat if it's not removed, you will be charged to have the grotty old carpet to be professionally cleaned. 1 of the lads said "this place is worst than prison! You get more respect and are treated with alot more dignity the only relief is you can walk out

3. At 04:12 PM on 01 July 2011 John wrote:

Psychiatric wards are overcrowded and understaffed? I’d agree

Just goes to show how bad this country is; I also have a mental health condition and never had any help with it; all i now have is anger and this anger grows day by day.

4. At 11:44 AM on 01 July 2011 Louisa wrote:

private hospital experience

How dreadful your experience sounds. I think you've hit the nail on the head when you say, 'It’s really not beneficial to do nothing, as you spend time thinking about things.' I have never experienced an NHS ward but I have stayed a few times in a provate hospital - I have private insurance through work. Of course, I can undertsand that you might not like to hear me complain about that, it was obviously a better and less stressful experience, I had my own room, a gym and activities available through most days as well as psychological therapies in groups. However last time I was there I was so ill, that none of these things helped me. In fact, knowing how much it cost just made me feel worse. What I really needed was just supportive, listening ears. I got that in the groups - but always ina formal sense. The actual nursing / ward staff were just as uninterested as you describe. They dished out medication, wrote reports and locked uo your valuables, that was about it. What I think people need in hospital is a supportive, safe environment with distraction but also plenty of opportunites to relax, be heard and be yourself. That is a very difficult thing to achieve.