[firemonkey]

Carole Foster was diagnosed with mild learning disabilities when she was three. She could read but only write if she was copying what someone else had written. At 18 she was found to have bipolar disorder and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Thanks to considerable efforts by the local learning disability support team in charge of her care, Carole was able to live largely independently. She had her own flat in Radcliffe, near Bury, travelled by bus unaided to a day centre four days a week, did her shopping and paid her own bills. Music, magazines and TV soaps were her pastimes and she had some good friends. "She had a better social life than me," recalls her sister-in-law Wendy Foster.

But losing her father Graham when she was 46 was a big blow to her emotional health, especially as she used to spend weekends at the family home with him and her mother Fay. She became very frightened, and terrified of physical pain. Her brother Geoff and Wendy helped fill the void left by her father's loss and Carole gradually improved.

In March 2006 Carole was admitted as an emergency patient into the care of Fairfield hospital in Bury, run by the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust, with serious abdominal pain and vomiting. She was diagnosed with gallstones and discharged, without pain medication, to have surgery later.

But Carole proved unable to cope at home and in May was admitted to a psychiatric ward. That was when the problems began that later culminated in her death. Despite being in great pain and distress, staff did nothing about it, her family say. "She went 15 to 16 weeks without pain relief. Nobody understood or appreciated the pain she was in," said Wendy. "The staff hadn't got a clue about how to deal with learning disabilities."

The psychiatric staff – who worked for the separate Pennine Care Trust, which provided mental health services – did not obtain Carole's medical records, despite being based at the Fairfield, yards from the clinical team that had treated her, so did not know she had gallstones, a debilitating and very painful condition.

That September Carole had surgery for a small bowel obstruction and hernia but, after she was returned to the psychiatric ward, her condition worsened. She ended up on a life support machine but on 2 October it was turned off. She was 52.

Geoff and Wendy complained to both the acute and mental health trusts. They detailed "atrocious blunders" and "a catalogue of mistakes and errors made by staff at all levels [which] finally resulted in Carole's death. Carole died needlessly. We were all so shocked as we all knew it shouldn't have happened," said Wendy.

They were ultimately vindicated when the parliamentary and health service ombudsman ruled that Carole's death had been avoidable. "Had the care and treatment Miss Foster received overall not fallen so far below the applicable standards, it is highly likely that her death could have been avoided," said a 65-page report. It revealed a series of life-threatening mistakes.

The ombudsman also ruled: "Her legal rights were not properly considered by the [mental health] trust, and if they had been her care and treatment might have been better planned and delivered, which might have resulted in a different outcome for her."

Mencap believes one of the most shocking aspects of Carole's care was the lack of understanding at both the trusts involved that her pain from her untreated gallstones, rather than her bipolar disorder, was why she was so distressed while in hospital. Instead the Pennine Care Trust said Carole was attention seeking.


http://www.guardian....r?newsfeed=true

My emphasis at the end.Utterly disgraceful. The severe mentally ill have worse physical health due ,in part, to lifestyle as a result of illness and/or medication effects but our physical health problems/worries are often not taken seriously.
Gps are notoriously bad for pulling the 'It's all to do with the fact you are mentally ill' card when we go about a physical concern.
Mental health trusts judging by this are not much better as i doubt accusing people of 'attention seeking' when they are in genuine distress and/or pain is an isolated incidence.

[Universal Credit]

The staff huddle together in their isolated little station waiting for their shift to end. They appear when meds are given out or if there is a 'incident' of some signficance requiring someone being put in segregation or being given extra sleepers. There is no real communication on the ward between staff and patients despite the staff being a good salary for their job...and they should interact with the patients much more, be a real presence for support and health. Instead they sit in their station for much of their shifts talking about their holiday plans. This is worse for older staff who have confidence that their insulative apporach is the norm. They should sack the older staff and that would change things IMO.

[ramboself]

i always felt the staff sat in the nurses station discussing personal info about the patients, but i would been paranoid

[Invisible]

Despicable story, and as harsh as it seems these stories don't phase me as much as they used to, it just happens too much.

It has taken many years for someone to take my physical health problem's seriously, and as many of you can guess the reason is that I am crazy, so that must be why I am in excruciating pain and have a hip so swollen I can't get trousers on.

This person was lucky they had someone to seek out justice for them, unfortunatly a lot of people don't so it is a crazy person's word against the upstanding member of society, the doctor's word.

When it comes to notes been shared that is just as useless. My notes never arrived from my home town (other end of the country) to where I live now but going on the fact it took medical notes to go from one surgery to another (these surgery's were within walking distance) at least four months maybe more, I'm guessing the other notes will take many a decade.

The computer system my mental health service uses is hardly ever working, so that makes it impossible to make sure notes are made or read. Many a time my CPN has taken me on a computer hunt to check something with me or do an update on my file, but there are no computers to be found.

It is a shame this poor lady died, but more cases are going too appear until mental health is not used as an excuse to not treat someone.

[Honorah]

firemonkey, on 03 January 2012 - 02:55 PM, said:

Carole Foster was diagnosed with mild learning disabilities when she was three. She could read but only write if she was copying what someone else had written. At 18 she was found to have bipolar disorder and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Thanks to considerable efforts by the local learning disability support team in charge of her care, Carole was able to live largely independently. She had her own flat in Radcliffe, near Bury, travelled by bus unaided to a day centre four days a week, did her shopping and paid her own bills. Music, magazines and TV soaps were her pastimes and she had some good friends. "She had a better social life than me," recalls her sister-in-law Wendy Foster.

But losing her father Graham when she was 46 was a big blow to her emotional health, especially as she used to spend weekends at the family home with him and her mother Fay. She became very frightened, and terrified of physical pain. Her brother Geoff and Wendy helped fill the void left by her father's loss and Carole gradually improved.

In March 2006 Carole was admitted as an emergency patient into the care of Fairfield hospital in Bury, run by the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust, with serious abdominal pain and vomiting. She was diagnosed with gallstones and discharged, without pain medication, to have surgery later.

But Carole proved unable to cope at home and in May was admitted to a psychiatric ward. That was when the problems began that later culminated in her death. Despite being in great pain and distress, staff did nothing about it, her family say. "She went 15 to 16 weeks without pain relief. Nobody understood or appreciated the pain she was in," said Wendy. "The staff hadn't got a clue about how to deal with learning disabilities."

The psychiatric staff – who worked for the separate Pennine Care Trust, which provided mental health services – did not obtain Carole's medical records, despite being based at the Fairfield, yards from the clinical team that had treated her, so did not know she had gallstones, a debilitating and very painful condition.

That September Carole had surgery for a small bowel obstruction and hernia but, after she was returned to the psychiatric ward, her condition worsened. She ended up on a life support machine but on 2 October it was turned off. She was 52.

Geoff and Wendy complained to both the acute and mental health trusts. They detailed "atrocious blunders" and "a catalogue of mistakes and errors made by staff at all levels [which] finally resulted in Carole's death. Carole died needlessly. We were all so shocked as we all knew it shouldn't have happened," said Wendy.

They were ultimately vindicated when the parliamentary and health service ombudsman ruled that Carole's death had been avoidable. "Had the care and treatment Miss Foster received overall not fallen so far below the applicable standards, it is highly likely that her death could have been avoided," said a 65-page report. It revealed a series of life-threatening mistakes.

The ombudsman also ruled: "Her legal rights were not properly considered by the [mental health] trust, and if they had been her care and treatment might have been better planned and delivered, which might have resulted in a different outcome for her."

Mencap believes one of the most shocking aspects of Carole's care was the lack of understanding at both the trusts involved that her pain from her untreated gallstones, rather than her bipolar disorder, was why she was so distressed while in hospital. Instead the Pennine Care Trust said Carole was attention seeking.


http://www.guardian....r?newsfeed=true

My emphasis at the end.Utterly disgraceful. The severe mentally ill have worse physical health due ,in part, to lifestyle as a result of illness and/or medication effects but our physical health problems/worries are often not taken seriously.
Gps are notoriously bad for pulling the 'It's all to do with the fact you are mentally ill' card when we go about a physical concern.
Mental health trusts judging by this are not much better as i doubt accusing people of 'attention seeking' when they are in genuine distress and/or pain is an isolated incidence.

[Honorah]

I am currently in the complaints system with Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust regarding criminal and medical negligence, unlawful imprisonment and institutional abuse. I have been in the Irwell (Mental Health) Unit at Fairfield Hospital on three occasions and was denied physical health care during each admission.

I applied for copies of my medical records in Nov 2008 in connection with a claim and eventually received them following a complaint to the CEO in July 2010.

As my notes proved that lives are being put at risk at The Irwell Unit I reported the same to the CQC but was told to contact the Trust Complaints Department which I did in January 2011. There are many matters too numerous to document here but the Acting Complaints Manager claims that mine is the most serious catalogue of complaints ever received - but to date no progress has been made with the investigation. I have been more fortunate than Carol in that my new GP has arranged the referrals, investigations and treatment necessary as a result of Pennine Care's wilful neglect.

I can well imagine what Carol went through with those rude, ignorant nurses. If patients are prescribed paracetamol for pain relief, the nurse break the tablets up so that the patients vomit and do not absorb any analgesic. When I requested unbroken tablets, the Nurses said "You don't want them, fine!" as she threw them in the bin and then said "Now go away while I deal with the next patient".

If Carol was an inpatient she should have had a Care Co-ordinator - why didn't he/she inform the staff of Carol's medical history?

EXAMPLES OF PROBLEMS PATIENTS ENCOUNTER AT THE IRWELL UNIT:

No physical health care.

Patients are not referred to an appropriate specialist when necessary.

Patients do not receive essential meds for physical health problems despite fax from GP re repeat prescriptions

Informal patients held on locked ward even after AMHP has assessed as "not detainable" and ordered "least restrictive" course of action

Informal patients told they have the "choice" - agree to stay or be sectioned. There is no "choice" - this is coercion and is unlawful.

If AMHP declares *not detainable", voluntary patient is kept on locked ward while they summon a 2nd AMHP to assess, and then a 3rd, during which time patient is not even allowed escorted leave.

There are no ward rounds. NICE Guidelines state patients should see Consultant for 20 minutes each week. Patients do not see the most junior doctor for 2 minutes each week.

Patients are not present at Reviews although they should be according to Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Psychiatric drugs are added to medication charts without any discussion or the patient even being seen by a doctor - contrary to all guidelines (NICE, RCPsych, GMC).

If patients are prescribed controlled drugs, these are dispensed by the pharmacy but not received by the patient.

Patients do not receive copies or have any involvement in their care plans/risk assessments. Contents of care plan not implemented which is probably why patients do not receive copies.

It is evident from the notes that staff have no idea which section the patient is on or if indeed the patient is detained.

Patients do not receive any feedback from MDT meetings.

No dialogue with nursing staff who always claim to be too busy. NICE Guidelines state patients should have 1:1 with a professional for one hour per day.

Patients do not receive s.17 escorted leave due to lack of staff which leaves patients without money and cigarettes. Patient Information Booklet claims there is a Hospital Social Worker although there is no such person.

Patients are not offered talking therapy.

Nurses refuse to allow voluntary patients to leave even after Consultant and AMHP have documented "not detainable and free to leave if so wishes"

Medical notes are often "missing" so medical notes written in nursing notes which nobody reads, not even the nurses!

No pre-discharge meeting, no prior warning of discharge (even for s.3 patients) and no s.117 aftercare

Everything written in notes is based on (delusional) staff believing they can read minds and, therefore, no need to speak to patients - hence notes are a work of fiction.

A Mental Health Commissioner visited in Nov 2008 during a period of freezing temperatures. Two patients complained that they were in bedrooms which were freezing and could not even be provided with a blanket. The Mental Health Commissioner witnessed the freezing temperatures in these rooms and, when she told the nurse on duty that this was absolutely unacceptable, the nurse shrugged her shoulders and said "There are cold spots - it's just a fault in the building". The MHA Commissioner said she would write to the CEO, as a result of which attempts were made to correct the fault in Jan 2010 - patients had been subjected to freezing conditions during 3 exceptionally cold winters! The right to warmth is enshrined in Patients' Rights and Article 8 of ECHR.

Where a patient did not wish a copy their list of complaints and the Commissioner's response to be given to the staff, the Commissioner issued verbal instructions to the nurse on those points which the patient agreed required some action. The nurse ignored the Commissioner's instructions and no action was taken.

There are two bedrooms for the disabled at the Irwell Unit, each with a very large bathroom to allow wheelchair access. Able-bodied patients are accommodated in these rooms but the bathroom is unsuitable - there is no curtain to the shower area and one male nurse feels free to just walk in without knocking. There is no lid on the toilet and a patient with acute diarrhoea (who couldn't be supplied with a toilet brush for Health & Safety reasons) was accommodated in this room. There is no shelf or anywhere (not even a toilet lid) to put clothes, underwear, towels, etc other than on the floor which is rarely mopped.

Abnormal investigations and physical health problems during admission are not reported to GPs in discharge summaries. This is contrary to GMC Best Practice.

There does not appear to be any infection control.

Although obliged to do everything within their power to reduce trips/falls, Pennine Care knowingly put patients at risk of accidents. In the event of a head injury, despite the fact that their policies and procedures state that a doctor must carry out a full neurological examination, the patient is only assessed by a MH nurse who has no general nursing qualifications.

Public phone is situated next to nursing station so there is no privacy

Personal correspondence is not given to patient, but opened and placed in medical records. It is a criminal offence in this country to intercept mail and contravenes ECHR, Article 8.

Patients are not allowed internet access

Patients only have access to the garden for 5-10 mins every 2 hours during smoke break. (Prisoners are entitled to 30 mins per day exercise outdoors). In the middle of the secure garden there is a bus shelter. This is for rehabilitation purposes - patients can sit in the bus shelter and have a fag! That is how Pennine Care staff think MH patients spend their time when in the community.

There is nothing to do 24/7 except watch rubbish like 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' or stay in bed

Obs on female patients are carried out by male support workers via a (Peeping Tom) spy hole in bedroom door

Students attend ward rounds, reviews, patients' homes, etc without anybody bothering to ask permission - treated like chimpanzees in a zoo!

TO SUMMARIZE: PATIENTS HAVE NO RIGHTS AS FAR AS PENNINE CARE/BURY CMHT STAFF ARE CONCERNED

Ironically, Pennine Care's slogan is "Improving the patient experience".

Pennine Care claim improvements have been made with regard to the treatment of patients with learning difficulties since Carol's death. There is no evidence to suggest that the physical health care of patients in general has undergone any improvement.

My experiences at The Irwell Unit, Fairfield Hospital, Bury led me to become a Mental Health Activist for Rethink's FAIR TREATMENT NOW - PHYSICAL HEALTH Campaign. We die prematurely due to lack of care not lifestyle!