Hospital not allowing visiting at the weekend

[cheerypip]

A close family member is a long stay inpatient in psychiatric hospital. He has just been moved to a new ward and I have been informed that they don't usually allow visits at the weekend.

It's a 5 hour round trip to visit and I work full time, so weekends are all I have.

I thought family contact was supposed to be an important part of mental health recovery. AIBU?

It’s difficult for me to revisit

but my father sectioned. He’s been in closed, open and then voluntary. years. and across three counties

if the OP’s partner is in a ward that has decreed no visiting at all over the weekend safe assumption it is a closed ward

@Topee so a complete coincidence it was 28 days?

I haven't read the whole thread, but there's a fair bit of nonsense on the first few pages so to clear some of that up some wards will have a mix of patients who are detained and informal (which means they are there voluntarily). Some wards only admit patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act.

Some patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act can have section 17 leave, which allows them to go out with a member of staff, or sometimes a relative, for a specified period of time. This will depend on their level of risk and is reviewed regularly by their Psychiatrist, with input from the Nursing team, as things can change very quickly. For some patients it may be appropriate for them to go out with staff, but not a friend or family member. Patients may be given overnight leave as they are nearing the point of discharge. Some patients may not be allowed to go off the ward at all, if there is concern for their safety or that of others or if there is a concern they will abscond.

I agree with PP that no visitors on a weekend will almost certainly be due to low staffing. Visits are hugely important for recovery but sadly they are not always positive. Lots of patients find visits difficult, some get very distressed when it is time for visitors to leave and so their level of risk or agitation and risk can increase after a visit. Some visitors turn up drunk or become aggressive towards staff. Some refuse to leave or accept the ward rules. So this all needs to be managed carefully and without enough staff it can be very unsafe for everyone.

OP, call the ward and ask to speak to the Ward Manager or your relatives Named Nurse. Explain the issue with the distance and work during the week. The worst they can do is say no.

Of course!

Haha 😂 I don't like to go in with 'Mental health nurse here ...' sounds a bit wanky. I just give accurate advice. Doesn't matter who I am if I give correct advice. You however seem to think your experience with one family member means you know everything. Any other mental health nurses will be able to pick up on all the errors - everyone is sectioned - nope, sectioned patients can't go on a day trip - wrong, sectioned patients don't even get leave! Just wow.

Wait until they hear about people who are on Community Based Compulsory Treatment Orders....

and you’re a mental health nurse
posting on a mental health query

and you didn’t want to say your job because you thought it sounded “wanky”?

🤔

She was in for over 9 months, all under section. I don’t know how the initial 28 days was decided upon, I just presumed it was whilst she was assessed and stabilised. I didn’t ask any questions, just accepted what they said.

OP could you try asking to speak to the ward manager to clarify the visiting policy, see if any exception could be made for you to visit and if you get nowhere with that you could contact PALS if your relative's hospital has a PALS service. Also if your relative is detained under the Mental Health Act they should be able to have an independent advocate (IMHA) who can help them to put their views forward about their care and treatment which would include access to visiting/leave. The CQC are also in my experience very alert at the moment to any use of "blanket restrictions" on psychiatric wards and they do not like them being used, so if all visiting is banned at weekends this seems rather restrictive unless there is a valid reason

Exactly what she said, terminology is a little different in Scotland but is very much my experience (also a mental health nurse). I have several patients I treat in their own homes who are under the Mental Health Act.

How about you stop derailing OPs thread. She is looking for advice not for this silliness. Any psych professional will see I do know what I'm talking about and clearly that isn't you, so let's just leave it. I'll not be commenting to you anymore.

Depending on the patient they could have leave within 3 days on my current ward if sectioned and immediately if not.

It's so important to do ordinary things like this with mentally unwell folk.

I believe you are a mental health nurse. Because I am a consultant psychiatrist.

I have never heard of wards not allowing visitors, even forensic wards. It is considered a vital part of recovery. I imagine the CQC would take a dim view of a unit that did not allow visits from relatives if the patient was stable and the relative was not considered to be a risk to the patient’s mental health or the ward.

I sign section 17 leave for patients, varying from 15 minutes with two members of staff to one week’s overnight leave with family where they can do what they want for a week and return after that time. It is all to do with risk assessment and judging what the patient’s mental state is, and what support the family are giving. Patients often have a lot of leave towards the end of their hospital stay. This is a good thing.

OP you must ask more questions and challenge this. Unless there are risks to you or your relative, then visits should be allowed.

Many section 2 patients get leave before 4 weeks. Many are on an acute less than 4 weeks in total. They need leave to recalibrate to normal life. People on section 3 also get leave. If sectioned you get get a section 17 which stipulates the amount of leave and conditions like if accompanied or unaccompanied for example.

the irony

some speedy googling going on on this thread now!

Thank you for this explanation.

I hadn't really appreciated the issues that visits could cause for some patients and the knock on implications for staff on the ward if patients are unsettled or unwell following the visit.

Thankfully this isn't the case for my visits but it is really helpful to understand the wider context as to why the ward might have a policy like this.

I will try to work with the ward to find a solution that will work for us.

How about you stop derailing OPs thread. She is looking for advice not for this silliness. Any psych professional will see I do know what I'm talking about and clearly that isn't you, so let's just leave it. I'll not be commenting to you anymore.

The irony and the lack of self awareness is actually hilarious! Please extend not commenting to me as well?

all the best OP. Sounds a very difficult time for you 💐

In all honesty I've not come across that terminology in many years. Not sure if it is still used somewhere? Is your father currently in hospital (only if you don't mind asking, I understand it is difficult)? But if OPs family member is stable they are in all likelihood allowed leave.

Ah, ok, thank you. The hospitals I've worked in don't require this unless PICU or a room needs booking. We like family and friends to be welcome to be with their friend/family member as much as possible.

@SummerDays2020 "I'm not commenting to you anymore", only you are!

WTF 😆

Yes, those people even live in the community! But in seriousness I find it quite sad. That people think sectioned people shouldn't even be out on a day trip.