"Staff’s failure to listen to me at caludon centre compromised my care"

In 2012 I was detained under section 2 of mental health act for about 60 hours within a Coventry located Hospital. Over the week prior to admission I was informed by my usual treating Consultant Psychiatrist (since 2007) I was experiencing hypomanic symptoms. My treating consultant took 2 weeks annual leave immediately prior to my compulsory period of hospitalisation.

My recollection of early stages of hospitalisation period is limited and derived from information provided to me by my relatives. Paramedics escorted me via ambulance to the Clinical Decisions Unit University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire in the early hours on Saturday morning. I was subject to mental health act assessment during inpatient stay on the unit as my blood level concentration of psychotropic medication was elevated. My psychiatric history includes bipolar affective disorder, PTSD & severe generalised anxiety disorder for which I am prescribed regular psychotropic medication - anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antipsychotic, beta blockers. Post mental health assessment I was transferred directly to Spencer Ward at Caludon Centre Coventry (General Adult Psychiatry Female Inpatients).

It is of concern to me that for the total duration of my inpatient hospitalisation period I received None of medication my GP regularly prescribes to me for my physical health conditions - this includes failure to prescribe me antihypertensives, beta blockers, HRT, IBS symptomatic therapy. It is well documented in medical text that abrupt ceasation of beta blockers leads to condition of rebound hypertension - rebound rise in blood pressure. It is well documented in medical text that abrupt ceasation of HRT in vulnerable patients predisposes to increased agitiation and mood fluctuation

It is of concern to me that the clinical staff declined to prescribe me the aforementioned physical health medication despite me instructing them in writing the names and dosage of each medication. This information is relatively easy for me to recall as I have a medical background. It was also provided to them via my partner who is trained medical practitioner. I told them I am regularly prescribed aforementioned physical health medication by my GP so experience adverse health consequences if it is rapidly withdrawn and stopped. Shortly prior to my discharge from Caludon Centre a junior grade psychiatrist on call requested medical advice from physicans at University Hospital regards my significantly heightened blood pressure and prescribed me single dose of amlodipine. I did not receive clinical interview or physical examination by the admission psychiatric doctor when admitted to mental health unit.

I am instructed the psychiatric clinical team were unable to prescribe me necessary medication for physical health conditions according to my partner. My relatives were told on direct enquiry by clinical nursing staff working on spencer ward that

1. My psychiatric (caludon centre) patient case notes were not available as not able be found.

2.My University Hospital patient case notes could not be transferred to mental health unit over weekend

2. My GP was not contactable as it was weekend

3. I did not have prescription from GP documenting prescribed medication with me on admission to mental health unit hospital.

At discharge I was interviewed briefly via Consultant Psychiatrist whom I had not met before. I was asked if I wanted to go home and replied yes I did - by this time I felt physically unwell with palpitations, blurred then double vision and headache. I was not given at discharge any medication or paper work documentation to take to my GP. Immediately on leaving hospital I went to my GP for support

** My treating Consultant Psychiatrist was on annual leave during total period of my admission - I consider in his absence I received severely compromised and dysfunctional standard of clinical care from treating clinical staff.

I submit this story in the hope that other patients (and relatives of patients) forcibly detained in mental health unit under section of mental health act for treatment of mental health condition may appreciate the potential difficulties encountered to their existent physical as opposed to mental health. I found myself in what I felt to be degrading and severely compromising circumstances in which my physical health was deteriorating. I was physically trapped within the "therapeutic environment" of mental health unit unable to access my habitual GP prescribed medication - I wrote repeatedly to clinical staff over weekend period to access medication with no success!!

I believe my physical health would have been better provided for if my regular treating Consultant Psychiatrist had been available. In my view the Caludon Centre needs to make better provision for treatment of patients by oncall clinical staff during out of hours period - without this improvement in its clinical service provision patient/s might in my view be subject to serious medical complications.