"Fighting for proper care"

My mum was taken to Ninewells after a second overdose in 6 weeks. She was admitted via A&E to the AMU/Short stay medicine.

The following day they wanted to discharge her despite (a) it was her second overdose in 6 weeks (b) she had none of her medication because she had taken the whole week (c) it was a bank holiday weekend so she couldn't get her medication replaced (d) family saying that she shouldn't be released as there was noone to look after her. We persuaded them to keep her in another night (they were initially adamant they would just send her home in a taxi if we wouldn't pick her up!) and I went up the next day to fight for them to keep her in and sort out proper care for her.

Despite this being the second overdose in 6 weeks, no follow up care with a psychiatrist was arranged (or indeed any follow up - they hadn't even contacted her CPN). No consideration seemed to have been given as to whether she was able to remain safe at home and or whether she needed additional care. I had to fight for that and if I hadn't advocated for my mum with the support of her CPN, I imagine she would have been sent home and would have taken another overdose in the following weeks.

Instead her medication is now locked away and she has district nurses come in twice a day to make sure she gets the medication she needs for her long term condition (which affects her memory, mobility and impulsivity amongst other things).

A patient who takes 2 overdoses in 6 weeks and has problems with impulsivity surely needs more thought and care than one night in hospital and then attempting to send her home in a taxi with no medication and no support and no reconsideration of the care plan.