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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Child on tier 4 CAMHS. AIBU to be furious with staff’s mistake?

43 replies

CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 11:54

DD is a voluntary patient on an impatient ward and 15 years old.
Part of her illness involves self harming, risk taking behaviour, psychosis and disassociation episodes. She also has complex PTSD.

Under 16s can only leave the ward with parents and/or staff. Over 16s are able to go to the shops etc as long as they aren’t held under the MH Act.

Last night DD left the ward on her own. The nurse in charge ‘thought’ she was over 16.

DD ended up taking part in self harming/disassociated.

I’m fucking furious. The night shift last night failed to safeguard her. I’m going to get her soon.
Has anyone got any advice?

OP posts:
Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 11:54

Shit, thought I’d disabled voting.

OP posts:
RuggeryBuggery · 17/04/2021 12:00

That’s rubbish.
This should be reported and followed up officially, it’s not good enough at all when they are supposed to be safeguarding her
Staff should be clear about which patients are allowed out alone and which aren’t - even if they are new/bank.

Beetlebum1981 · 17/04/2021 12:04

I've no advice other than complain. As you say it's a massive safeguarding issue and needs to be investigated.

myrtleWilson · 17/04/2021 12:04

Thats awful - am so sorry your DD has been failed in this way. How is she this morning? What have the ward said?

No practical advice but I would expect a swift intervention from a senior staff member

Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 12:05

Thanks @RuggeryBuggery.
DD brought alcohol back to the ward (which she can’t remember even getting/how she got it) and this same nurse said she was going to be kicked out/sent home 15 miles at midnight in a taxi Hmm

DD is really upset with what she’s done and feels guilty but it should NEVER have happened as she shouldn’t have been let off the ward alone!

OP posts:
Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 12:06

I’m going getting DD soon and we’re doing something nice. I’m asking to speak to the nurse in charge then want to have a meeting on Monday when the consultants etc are in.

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x2boys · 17/04/2021 12:07

Speak to the ward manager ,I expect there will be a serious incident review .

Hankunamatata · 17/04/2021 12:13

Yep complaint.

How far is dd of being 16?

Thatwentbadly · 17/04/2021 12:28

It maybe helpful to contact PALS.

Blackhawkdown2020 · 17/04/2021 13:07

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Creepygnochi · 17/04/2021 13:13

CAHMS is not fit for purpose. You can complain all you want, and should, but I wouldn't hold my breath that much will happen. They can't find staff for mh wards as it is. I never put my dd (scitzoeffective) into an nhs ward, always private. I suggest researching them if they can.

hopingfrbetter · 17/04/2021 13:43

This reminds me of an incident whereby my son went off the ward and bought lots of alcohol back to the ward, so he could have a party with some of the girls. He was 17 at the time, but has significant developmental delay and autism.

What he did was highly irresponsible, but it amazed me that he was able to walk back onto the ward with copious amounts of alcohol, clearly intoxicated himself, and with glass bottles in a bag.

He was discharged abruptly to an unsafe environment.
Someone said CAMHS was unfit for purpose. In my experience, the levels of security and safeguarding on CAMHS units leave a lot to be desired.

Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 18:17

DD isn’t 16 until December.

I went to pick her up earlier and two nurses came to speak to me. They listened and said that the nurse last night had obviously made a mistake but at least she owned up to it Hmm

DD was so upset last night, she was told by the same nurse that she would have to be discharged ASAP and she apparently poo pooed DD’s explanation of voices compelling her to drink/self harm.

I am going to take this further though. I asked why DD was let off the ward and was told ‘we’ll some u16s are allowed to go in unaccompanied leave/DD is having so much home leave it’s easy to get mixed up/DD does look a lot older than her age’.

We believe the nurse last night realised she had fucked up and therefore behaved in an unprofessional way (threatening discharge and sending DD home in a taxi).

DD was breathalysed after the event and her results came up clear.

OP posts:
OldBean2 · 17/04/2021 18:35

Ask to speak to the Nurse safeguarding lead for the hospital, if they are not available then they need to put you in touch with the nurse safeguarding lead for the CCG.

Frankly, this is not good enough however, this is not about getting the nurse in trouble but it is about taking learning from the situation, so that a) it does not happen again and b) the nurse acquires a deeper understanding of your daughter's mental state.

I am very sorry that this has happened to your daughter.

bringbacksideburns · 17/04/2021 18:46

she apparently poo pooed DD’s explanation of voices compelling her to drink/self harm.

That's shocking. I hope she's feeling better now.
I'd be throwing the book at the Nurse - bad enough she was allowed out alone but then to be treated like that afterwards ...

Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 19:05

@hopingfrbetter so sorry your lad had to go through that and @Creepygnochi up until now we’ve been fairly pleased with DD’s care.
If the whole event had been handled differently (ie not threatening DD with midnight discharge and dismissing her reports of voices) then i wouldn’t be half as cross.
I’m going to follow @OldBean2’s advice.
I know @x2boys is/was a MH nurse so I asked if this would be a serious incident report.

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Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 19:09

Oh and the staff said that the incident was reported on Datix.

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x2boys · 17/04/2021 19:22

Datix is an incident form in the computerised notes ,in the trust a worked for it would have triggered a serious, incident review,I would speak to the ward manager on Monday ( they won't be on duty at the weekend ime) ,was the nurse a regular member of staff? Or Agency/Bank?

PollyGray · 17/04/2021 19:43

There would be a Manager on call over the weekend; I'd expect them to have been notified and asked for advice (which they might well have been).

Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 20:16

@x2boys I believe it was a regular staff member.

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x2boys · 17/04/2021 20:20

It will hopefully be dealt with properly than ,if it was an agency ,there would be nothing much that could be done other than telling the agency and not using the staff member again

Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 17/04/2021 21:09

Thanks @x2boys.

I’m local to you and the unit is 15 minutes away so you can probably guess where I’m talking about.

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x2boys · 17/04/2021 21:17

Yes I think so ,I assume it's part of the massive mental health trust tbh you need to speak to the ward manager and go from there ,they will have to sign off the Datix form anyway so will be aware in Monday of the incident

Crabbypaddy · 17/04/2021 22:31

Nurse is at fault for allowing her off the ward. However is your daughter accepting any responsibility for taking herself off the ward at all? Or was she dissociating at this point too?

Original poster
CaptainAwkward · 18/04/2021 13:07

@Crabbypaddy she can’t remember going off the ward.
Why do you think she should ‘take responsibility’ for taking herself off the ward?

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