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Very poor and unsafe care

Posted By MarkE

"Very poor and unsafe care"

About: Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

(as a carer),

Our Mum has had severe MH for years. We didn't get any support when we were children nor now as young carers. Yet this Trust also refuses to help her and gives out our telephone numbers so that the police and GP can call us any time night or day when she is unwell as MH services refuse to as she is 'complex'. Mum has psychosis and needs very complicated medication. It is meant to be by injection. She has not had any medication again for months and is paranoid, not eating, neglecting herself and very mentally unwell.

The GP has contacted the MH Trust so many times. As do the police who were at her home 5 times last week. There is no crisis team outside office hours and there is usually an answerphone. If you ever get anyone they tell you to call a taxi and try and persuade her to get in as she refuses to get in an ambulance. She cant be forced to unless a MH team come out to her home but this Trust delays assessments for days and days as shut all the beds. Mum got sent 100 miles away before for weeks and weeks with no follow up after as there is a 6 month delay to see community psychiatrist.

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Responses

Response from Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust 7 years ago
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 14/11/2016 at 10:07
Published on Care Opinion at 14:13

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for taking the time to comment via the Patient Opinion website on the services we provide at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. We are very sorry for the experience you and your family have received. It would help us if you could contact the Trust’s Advice and Complaints Service directly so that we can obtain more detail in order to investigate properly.

They can be contacted on 020 3317 7102 or email them at complaints@candi.nhs.uk

Their Freepost address is:
Advice and Complaints Service
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust
FREEPOST (LON 12613) – FIRST CLASS
London NW1 0YT

In order to clarify some details from the points you have raised – our Crisis Team Service operates 24 hours per day. All of our incoming calls are processed through our Crisis Call Centre which is staffed by crisis team clinicians, and after 9pm, we have one registered nurse or social worker on duty per borough overnight. Overnight, they respond to all incoming phone calls as well as supporting the mental health liaison teams at local Emergency Departments. At times, if they are meeting with a service user, the incoming caller will be diverted to leave a voicemail. This will be picked up as soon as the clinician becomes free.

You state that the Trust delays community assessments, “for days and days as shut all the beds”. We presently have just under 200 beds in our Acute Mental Health Services; this has been measured against the referral rate and found to be adequate for Camden and Islington residents who are in need of an acute admission. At times however, this demand can increase and is complicated by needing to work with some people who may present to our Trust but who may be visitors from overseas, have no obvious ties to the area or who may have become stuck in an inpatient setting due to some of their social needs (such as housing, finance etc) requiring input before they can be discharged. As an organisation we are continually working towards greater effectiveness in relation to our admission and discharge procedures so that we will always have a bed available locally for one of our residents.

Without the specific details concerning your mother, it is difficult to comment exactly on the reasons why you have and continue to experience such delays in receiving care for her so we would advise that you get in touch so that we can support you.

Yours sincerely

Debbie May
Operational Service Manager
Crisis Resolution and Liaison Teams

Mobile: 079 4415 1559
Landline: 020 7561 4164
Email: debbie.may@candi.nhs.uk

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