"Dreadful place!"

My Mum was sectioned Dec 2016 for nearly 3 weeks on the Amber ward (for older patients).

It was a dreadful experience.

Mum had a stroke last year which left her in a wheelchair and with a speech issue.

She was admitted with suspected depression/wanting to take her own life.

Despite being in a wheelchair and unable to get around herself she was put in a room with no call bell so unable to ask for assistance to go to the toilet and relied on people popping their head in.

She frequently wet herself.

She had to text me to call the ward to ask someone to go take her to the toilet.

Quite often they would take a long time and she would wet herself.

I went in one day to find her in bed at 3pm in her nightie still and so wet.

As soon as staff saw me trying to clean her up they were all over her.

It was shocking.

it's no surprise that she developed a sore.

She was left all day in TV room with no stimulation at all until her last week when she had a couple of brief physio sessions.

She was assessed and deemed as not being depressed and having full mental capacity.

She left their physically in a worse state from lack of exercise and mentally scarred.

She still has nightmares now.

Her speech deteriorated so badly we could barely understand her by the end of her stay there.

She had money stolen from her purse (£60) when she arrived (I am reporting this to the police) and her £90 toothbrush went missing! We were reimbursed for the toothbrush after lots of complaining.

if you have a loved one that needs this type of hospital I would avoid Whiteleaf at all costs!