To complain to the ambulance service...

[pineapplefizz]

Long story short my son overdosed, I called an ambulance and they took him to hospital and the paramedics wanted to take the leftover meds to give to the doctors.

Instead of giving said meds to the doctors they handed them BACK to the person (my son) that had already overdosed... he then finished the packet! He took the remaining pills.

AIBU to complain that I am thinking in what world would you hand someone meds who's just tried to take their life with those exact meds???????

On the surface that does sound a very strange thing to do.
I would certainly want to ask what on earth happened, yes.

I have no idea what the rules are about returning property to patients but that does seem like a ridiculous thing to do. I think you’re within your rights to complain. I’m sorry you’re going through this. I really hope your son is going to be okay.

The only reasonable reason to return them I can think of would be if it was thought to be an accidental overdose.

If it was attempted suicide or self harm then yes that's madness and you should absolutely complain.

Definitely not unreasonable, you need answers. I'm sorry to hear that your son felt low enough to do this OP. Hope you are taking care of yourself too.

Not accidental. Deliberate attempt to end his life.

Crikey - yes - definitely make a comment/complaint to PALS and to whichever ambulance service it was.

I hope your son gets the treatment that he needs too

Yes. In this case I would absolutely complain. Not their brightest moment. I hope he’s okay. (You too!)

Now I am raving mad with the Crisis team who visited him.

Baring in mind the situation of a 25 year old man trying to end his life... they went and said "Speak to your GP on Monday"....... So all weekend with no professional support ... suicidal.... intent on ending his life ..... that's just brilliant care from them!

'Crisis' team my backside!

This is ALL happening 2 weeks (today) after my step father died of cancer and my beautiful dog was put to sleep on Monday. I am beginning to feel overwhelmed.

That does seem a daft thing to do especially since young men are a particularly high risk group.

Was he seen by Psych liaison?

The paramedics absolutely shouldn’t have given him the meds.

This is terrible. And definitely not what they should have done. In hospital they take all meds off you, they won't let you have them on your person. Especially in OD patients. Surely he needs to be sectioned if he's in danger of ending his life?

Yes I would definitely raise it. How is your son now? I’ve been through the same with my son. I also have MH issues so understand how difficult it is.
Sadly I’m not surprised re the Crisis team. The whole MH service needs a massive injection of money as it quite simply is not working.

That's absolutely appalling! Were they qualified paramedics or merely ambulance crew? I can't imagine anyone, qualified or not, handing tablets back to someone intent on taking their own life. It's utter madness.
Your poor son, I hope he is getting the help and support he needs now.
You too, do you have real life help and support? You've been through some traumatic life events in a short period of time, condolences.

Reaching out. The service is crippled and appalling with mental health crisis and suicide attempts. I have a close relative who I know would be dead if we hadn't stepped in. We basically sectioned them in the home, it was horrific. No follow up, no help and this was with a young patient who wanted to engage, wanted to get better, would have taken anything.

I knew it was bad but it truly shocked me. I don't mean to be alarmist but help isn't coming. Everyone came together and paid for some private treatment to get a diagnosis which was dismissed and ignored so we had a continual fight on our hands.

Tips
Get yourself listed as his medical advocate or they wont talk to you. He has to give permisson.
Record everything. Great if they let you record on a phone otherwise take notes
Follow up in writing making the seriousness of the situation clear. You want them to understand you are making a paper trail that you will hand over to the coroner if it comes to it. Repeat in writing is his attempting to take his own life.
If you can go private for anypart then do.
There are charities around young male suicide, reach out.

Im so sorry again.

What is the timing of Jed's handed back?
They would have handed them to the Drs, the Jed's are then kept locked up/ away during a hospital stay. A suicidal person is then assessed by the crisis team before discharge. Take home meds are then given from pharmacy.
But presuming this is in AE was it the NS who gave the meds back?? They should have had medical input regarding the safety of the meds both from a physical POV after OD and also if safe to have in any quantity.

Meds

Definitely complain, that’s awful. Sending best wishes to your son and your family 💕

I'm honestly aghast at the MH care in this country. My MIL (long history of MH issues, husband died by suicide 5 years ago) went to see her GP and told them she didn't want to live anymore and wanted to end her life, had been writing letters etc. They gave her more pills and sent her on her way to await a call from a MH nurse weeks later.

For some reason, I assumed if you said something like that to a health care professional it would be all hands on deck, admission, counselling etc. The lack of resources is outrageous.

Hopefully you get some more support soon, sorry this is happening.

Assuming he was taken to A&E, the crew would have clerked him in and been directed to a cubicle or corridor space. Generally will handover to a nurse. All patient belongings are put on chair or under bed. Medication might be handed over to nurse and in cases such as your son’s, should be secured. But in a busy department there is a lot of failure points and it is possible handover was done on the hop with all belonging being left in the vicinity of the patient with the assumption that someone would be along to deal with that shortly. you should complain but this may also need to include the hospital to allow investigation to find the failure points and address them.

Acute MH support is dire. Unfortunately being angry and let down is the normal way to feel when having to navigate it. I am sorry you are on this path.

That’s a lot to cope with OP…..hope your DS gets the support he needs soon…….and you too 💐

Blimey, that’s crazy, and very dangerous - defo raise it with them. Hope your son is doing better now.

No advice, OP, but I can’t understand why they would have done that either and agree mental health care in this country is terribly lacking. So sorry you’ve been through so much lately.

No advice on how to get the mh or crisis team to listen as we went through it all with my best friend. She’s already diagnosed with bpd, she had 4 traumatic events in the space of 3 weeks.

I was heavily pregnant and begging people to help, we faced the exact same as you. One ‘nurse’ from the mental health team actually said well if she was serious about ended her life she’d have done it by now. The reason she hadn’t done it you may wonder… cos I refused to leave her side! The one time I nipped out I came back and found her in the bath after some pretty bad self harm. Took her to the hospital and after some stitches she was packed off home and told to phone the crisis team 🤦‍♀️

Eventually the GP did actually start listening and she was given pills under the strict advice that someone else held them for her.

I am saddened with the amount of people that are failed by the system. All the BS about how you should call the crisis team and their card is literally thrust into the hand of anyone who mentions depression, yet when the time comes for actually desperate for guidance, support and assistance - it's just no there.

I get that the NHS is stretched but the statistics of people ending themselves due to MH issues who have cried out for help and not got it are heartbreaking.

My son is currently under my eager eye, he'll hate it, but for now, I have to make sure he's safe, at least until we speak to the doctor.

I will for sure be making him an appointment at 7.30 on Monday morning!!!!