The Priory - AIBU?!

[secretnameoops]

Okay so changed my name for this...

To try and cut a long story short, I'm fucking fuming.

So last year I was sent to The Priory mental health unit. For those of you who don't know what this is, The Priory is a private company who supplies rehab, mental health unit etc. Celebrities use this.

I was very unwell last year, and there were no bed spaces under the NHS. So the NHS actually funded me to stay there at a disgusting rate of £600 a day.

In that time, I ended up having what I now realise is an inappropriate relationship with a psychiatric nurse at this hospital.

I was there for severe PTSD from a sexual assault. I was psychotic, hallucinating the lot.

This member of staff took advantage of me big time. I had been raped, he knew this, but still thought it was ok to have a relationship with me? I don't remember a lot, I was on a lot of medications at the time and the hospital would just drug you up.

So the hospital found out and suspended him instantly then struck him off. I've tried to put in complaint after complaint. All I want is a public apology and they won't give it to me.

They've turned off their ability to leave reviews on their page, the hospital page has disappeared.

When I got a bit better I reported them to CQC governing body. In the last month, I've been informed that they are now under investigation.

I saw so much bad shit there, patients left to harm themselves. One patient was left for 2 hours banging her head against the wall because they couldn't be bothered to intervene. She was a schizophrenic.

I don't even know why I'm posting about this, I'm just so angry that they won't even acknowledge anything. It was an even more traumatic time being there than if I was left alone.

AIBU for pushing this after so many months to get my apology?

I think in some cases if you think a complaint has not been correctly handled by the CQC you can take it to the PHSO. I'm not sure if that would be case here but it might be worth looking into. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience and hope you are on the road to recovery and getting the right treatment.

There was a TV programe about the Ticehurst priory a couple of weeks ago. Not happy viewing. Less so as a colleague was there a while ago and reported back that it was abusive.

@onemorewonthurt thank you for what you do. My experience was very positive it’s actually been the NHS follow up I’ve had issue with

I get it!everyone is an armchair expert in what is actually v complicated There is a collective sense of shame/guilt when clients are abused or let down
And so much what ifs,and should have goes on for staff,guilt at feeling more should/could have been
MH is underfunded,under resourced,misunderstood.

What is actually wrong with people? This is a serious question!

OP suffers a serious, horrendous assault, and comes into hospital for PTSD, fully expects good treatment for health and instead experiences gross malpractice by a staff member.

She shares her personal view in a balanced and fair way...

And then we get posts saying “I’m sick and tired of people criticising the mental health services, I work for the Priory”...

Really?!That’s what you took from this post? The OP is entitled to share her view!

Does this mean that if I get cuffed and beaten by police as a man of colour (not likely just saying), I’m not allowed to describe my experience in case it upsets someone who works for the police on here?

Although I said I wanted a public apology from The Priory, my main drive and focus is to stop things like this from happening. Not shooting them down for no reason. I felt more sorry for the patients I was with and their experience rather than my own. It just has to stop. And it's almost like those with MH issues don't have a voice. But I do, and I'm gonna make damn sure I use it.

All I was highlighting is to not tar every Priory with the same brush. My diagnosis is complex PTSD and my inpatient stay was a damn sight better than I expected

By the way, I’m also sorry that things are underfunded, that there’s a collective sense of handwringing when things go wrong...

..that’s not the OP’s problem though. She suffered wrongdoing at the hands of a staff member and has the right to express this, without her having to also add codas and addendums noting how stretched the mental health budgets are

(The Priory turned an operating profit in its last set of accounts, and is the most profitable mental health provider receiving £720 million of public money. To be clear.)

@secretnameoops

Your last sentence really rang true with me - definitely don’t stop using your voice on issues like this, it won’t improve if they’re not called out

Thank you @GinDaddy

I'm not going to keep my mouth shut about what happened and I'll continue to fight for what is right.

If that person works for Priory and is sick of it being slated, then continue being a good worker there. There isn't enough of them. Which leads me to my complaint.

(The Priory turned an operating profit in its last set of accounts, and is the most profitable mental health provider receiving £720 million of public money. To be clear.)

This is precisely my point. If this company earns so much then it should make sure it fucking does it's job properly. I'm more angry that it's Priory BECAUSE of how much money it makes. What is their excuse for poor care?

And it's almost like those with MH issues don't have a voice
Yes,that’s a summation of the difficulties in the power imbalance.individual vs a system
That’s why we need people speaking out,whistleblowers,inquiries.

It'll forever stay in my mind that patient I was with who was forced to have ECT. For those who don't know what that is, please look it up. It's very outdated form of therapy.

I watched her come in as a voluntary patient with mild depression. She came to Priory as she was actually a junior doctor of psychiatry under NHS.

She was treated so poorly and trapped into becoming sectioned for months. She lost her voice to her rights. Everything was forced on her. I stayed in contact with her. She lost her memory because of ECT. They put the patient to sleep and force seizures. There's no evidence it works or how it works.

She lost her job, her new home she bought.

She kept her depression secret from her family for years.

The Priory invited her parents in to inform them and make them speak together in a room.

Her dad was her abuser from a child.

Who fucking thinks that's ok?

She stopped remembering who I was because of the therapy. She isn't the same anymore. It breaks my fucking heart.

I sympathise massively without experience i really do but I have to pick up on something:

It'll forever stay in my mind that patient I was with who was forced to have ECT. For those who don't know what that is, please look it up. It's very outdated form of therapy.

ECT as it is used today can be incredibly effective. I have literally seen people go from being catatonic to being bright and lively with only a few treatments.
I cannot speak for your friend but someone doesn't go from mild depression to ECT in a matter of months and ECT will only be given without consent if it's an emergency (very rare this Happens) or if you don't have capacity to give consent and a second opinion doctor agrees it should be given. All I'm saying is that whilst I'm not in the slightest defending the priory (I hate private mental health providers since they often undercut NHS contracts then fail within months) please understand that treatment decisions like ECT are not taken lightly by the professionals involved.

It sounds horrific, secret. And I believe every single word

OP - that is UTTERLY appalling. Do not ever lose your anger and voice.

And as for the poster working for The Priory (“I'm so sick and tired of people's incessant kicking of the mental health services”) - Jesus fucking Christ, that post has to be one of the most insensitive posts I have seen on Mumsnet given the context of The OP having been abused by a member of staff at The Priory. Shame on you

please understand that treatment decisions like ECT are not taken lightly by the professionals involved.

This is what I don't understand. That was my understanding of it. But this happened so quickly and escalated so fast, none of it sat right whatsoever.

I'm glad some patients have had good experiences. But this one didn't.

In my opinion ECT is outdated and should have stayed in 1950s.

I agree, Ariadne. I can't think of anything less professional. Appalling.

Aridane * sorry

ECT is and always has been controversial. I have seen it work for very depressed individuals who were mute. The evidence base is for ECT is contentious

To have gotten to administer the ECT would have been lengthy process including
reports
Capacity assessment
Best interest meeting
SOAD Second opinion Approved Doctor

The MH system has flaws,but it has checks and balances too. MHA in uk is one of the most liberal in world.

Imposition of involuntary treatment is last option.

ECT is actually my next step. i was recently discharged from mental health services for being ‘too complex’ to help. i take a lot of heavy psych drugs, including anti-psychotics, and the psychiatrist says there are no more medication option for me to try. so, either i stay fat, unwell and sedated, or i have ECT.

anyway. OP, i’m sorry you’re having to go through this. i will be making a formal complaint about my treatment (outpatient only at this point - i’ve had 2 hospital admissions and am trying to avoid another one but i’m hanging on by my fingernails), my trust is in special measures and it’s only my fab GP keeping me supported currently. it’s been a nightmare. i have PTSD, OCD and BPD, and am also a chronic pain patient.

being treated badly by those you are expected to put your trust in is devastating. the incident i will be making a complaint about has badly affected my mental health, (which was terrible to begin with, hence being under the care of secondary services) and has left me feeling that there is nowhere to turn for help.

incidentally, a staff member from my first hospital admission turned up in a recovery group i was in, and made a public post on a facebook group about my admission, my mental illness and alleging that i was an attention seeker who should not be believed or trusted. i complained, they were investigated and struck off.

there is so much emphasis currently on looking after our mental health, when the reality is that there is no real help for those in trouble.

This is what I don't understand. That was my understanding of it. But this happened so quickly and escalated so fast, none of it sat right whatsoever.

I appreciate that but the reality was probably that the "mild" depression was chronic long standing treatment resistant depression or she became very unwell at a very rapid rate to the point they felt her life was at risk. I've never worked with a single psychiatrist who didn't exhaust every drug treatment they could before coming to ECT as an option. And as I said for it to be forced on someone an independent second opinion doctor would also have to agree.

You are of course entitled to your opinion of ECT, it is an opinion many people share. But it really isn't the sort of treatment that is just thrown around willy nilly, aside from anything else it is a pain in the arse to organise, takes lots of staff resources and is more expensive than the usual drug and talking therapies.

incidentally, a staff member from my first hospital admission turned up in a recovery group i was in, and made a public post on a facebook group about my admission, my mental illness and alleging that i was an attention seeker who should not be believed or trusted. i complained, they were investigated and struck off.

@exWifebeginsat40 well done for speaking out against them and getting them struck off.

The Priory went through my Facebook account and another ex patient to gather evidence against the worker who was dismissed. That never sat right with me. At first, I was still unwell at this point and didn't really know what was going on. I was just told an investigation was in process. Then later found out they'd gone through my personal profile. I tried to make them answer and they wouldn't.

You have been through some truly dreadful events,no adequate words I’m afraid

I can't believe how much you've had to cope with from your treatment, I'm so sorry. The sense of violation as you recovered and realised how you'd been treated must have been nearly as bad as the experience that led you there in the first place. I'm glad action was taken against the individual professionals involved.

I think such poor care is rare. I really hope I'm right. I've done 5 months in a priory (Roehampton) and 4 months NHS and the priory was infinitely better. I didn't live the experience but of course I wouldn't. It kept me safe and gave the best treatment it could (anorexia treatment so never going to have a hugely high success rate at the best of times). The NHS did the same but it was just far less comfortable and the staff were much more overstretched.

For people who are upset about the bad name mental health workers and places get I think it's worth remembering that people go there at the lowest times of their lives. They're going through hell, aren't thinking rationally and may well be there against their will. Therefore the complaints and reviews often won't be fair. That's not the patient's fault but it's not yours either. I know someone who made a complaint about being tube fed against her will ... her bmi was below 12! And someone else who complained about not being allowed offsite ... She was under section, had no awareness of danger and couldn't hold a coherent conversation. Both posted damning reviews online. It was just really sad for all concerned and I can see why people working in MH get so defensive. But the OP's case is hardly a run of the mill complaint. She has genuinely been treated appallingly badly and people have to be held to account for that.