My Mum had been on dudsbury ward for 4 weeks, when my Dad phoned to tell me that the doctors wanted to discharge her. I was shocked by this, as when i had seen her a couple of days before I thought her condition had actually got worse. My Dad had told the doctors he felt she wasn't well enough but they wouldn't listen. Later I received a call from a lady who was going to assess my mum, she was asking how I felt about her going home. I told her my concerns and that when I'd seen her a couple of days before I thought that her condition had deteriorated. She said that she had taken my views on board but that the doctors wanted to discharge her. Unfortunately she was discharged the next day. At first there were people coming twice a day to give her medication and she was taken to the day hospital a few days a week, but her condition continued to deteriorate. My dad had to phone the crisis team on several occasions, as she was becoming very agitated and was acting completely out of character. They responded by giving extra sleeping tablets and anti anxiety medication, but she would be awake again by 2am. In the end a doctor decided to try a change of medication but this did not help. By the second week, the Doctors and mental health support workers were agreeing that mum was not well and should be back in hospital, but that they had no beds. Towards the end of the week things had deteriorated to the point that my mum was putting herself at great risk. She went missing in the middle of the night, after phoning the crisis team herself to say she was going to end her life. After my Dad phoned them as well, it became clear that the crisis team didn't want to know and we're not going to do anything. My dad had to phone the police, who later found her. The next she was readmitted into St ann's as a bed had become available. The hospital have failed in there duty of care towards my mum, and have also put our family through unnecessary stress and worry for the last two weeks. I feel they discharged her early as they needed beds, also what's the point in them asking the family if they think there relative is ready to leave, and then completely disregarding what we say. I'm worried about her future care with this hospital.
"discharged to early."
Posted via nhs.uk
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