AIBU to ask to stay in London for treatment?

[Rebecca496]

Hi all,

I am currently at the A and E department in the Crisis Assessment Unit at a London hospital due to why mental health. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed over the last few days.

The plan is to keep me here over the weekend until a bed in an in-patient ward becomes available in my home county in the midlands, where I would be admitted as an informal (voluntary) patient.

I would be transferred back to my local NHS Trust by paramedics and accompanied for the journey from this London hospital back to the midlands in-patient hospital - possibly on Monday.

The doctor in charge here said that it is not possible to be admitted in London as my GP Surgery and Postcode is not from here, and there is certain politics about NHS Trusts and hospital admissions being expensive and things like that.

I am a little worried about being admitted in my local county, as worried that the treatment would not be good there and that I would be going back to the situation that I was getting away from.

Is there any way that I could be admitted in London to an in-patient mental health ward? Can I plead with the doctors to keep me here?

I was thinking of asking my MP to get in touch with Rishi Sunak to ask if he could allow me to be admitted here in London, as the facilities are better here and I feel safer in London.

Huw Edwards was recently admitted to an in-patient psychiatric hospital in London and I would feel safer being treated in an environment where Huw was treated.

Is there any way that I can be treated here in London, as I would feel safer here. I do not want to be transferred back to the midlands with paramedics, and would prefer to be treated in London as this is where Huw Edwards was treated.

The doctor did say that the wards would be louder here in London which may not be good for me (as I am a very quiet person) but I don't mind this as I would rather be treated in London.

I am being observed here at all times. There are more facilities here than there would be in my local hospital, such as shops that the nurse could accompany me to.

Please can you ask me how I can plea to ask to be treated in London? I DO NOT want to be transferred back to the midlands for an in-patient mental health bed, I would like to remain as a voluntary (informal) patient in London.

AIBU to ask to stay in London, and can a bed be found for me here and how can I get one? I do not fee safe returning to the midlands at the moment. I do not live in London normally though.

How do you know that the treatment wouldn't be as good in the midlands?. Wanting to stay in London because Huw Edward's was treated there is a bit odd. (And he may have gone private)
Beds are so scarce, you may just have to go where the bed is.

The Prime Minister is not going to be able to get you a bed is there isn't one.

I just feel safer here as this is near where everything is. There are more facilities here, such as places I can get food and see outside. London is where everything is. I feel happier in London.

I could plead for one. I am sure there must be a bed somewhere in London for mental health? I ran away from the Midlands yesterday as was overwhelmed there. I do not want to go back there at the moment.

If you’re able to go private then you can choose where you go

if you’re using the NHS you will need to go where there is a bed for you

There are more facilities here in London.

What is an in-patient mental health bed like? The people are nicer here in London.

I am in the NHS Hospital at the moment but will have to see. What is an in-patient mental health bed like?

Your posts are sounding a little manic. Are you there for help or to enjoy London?

I want to be treated in London as there are more people here and they are nicer here.

I have worked in adult London IP units for over 20 years. You won’t get a bed on a London ward. Even if you somehow got admitted, the second they realised you were from out of area, you would be transferred to the midlands.

See what happens on Monday. They may decide on a crisis house, or home treatment team if you remain settled. Might be better than an inpatient setting? Discuss all options. As an informal patient you have more choices.

London MH wards are unfortunately as loud and challenging as anywhere else in the country. The Huw Edwards connection is irrelevant.

London is where everything is - in the Midlands there is a lot of pressure at home which is why I run to London,, to get away. I do not want to go back!!!!

I take the Venlafaxine but need a medication review to a stronger antidepressant.

Here in London I am nearer to the King, the Prime Minister and m ore facilities like airports and infrastructure in case I need to use them. There are also restaurants nearby like McDOnalds that I can ask the nurse to bring me food from.

There is a huge shortage of beds in mental health wards, particularly in London. You're not going to get to stay in a London hospital, you'll have to go wherever you're offered. Better food and things to see really isn't a reason.

If you end up in the NHS place in St Pancras, it is not nice. I visited a friend there and was appalled, she was left on her back, sedated and drooling, her sister and I had to turn her over to the recovery position. They were basically chemically coshed. As the only prior experience I had was of another friend at the Priory with art therapy and the like, I had naive expectations. London is not necessarily better on the NHS level.

Yes, what is a Crisis House. This was somneting else that was mentioned but I don't know what it is.

They said though that in the midlands there are only observations by doctors there every three days, and the doctors on the A and E unit say I need to see a doctor every day.

I do not want to be sedated.

Hi, OP. We're sorry to hear you're going through this. We've moved your thread to our Mental Health board, as we weren't sure that AIBU was the best place for your sensitive thread. There might be some useful links for you here on our Mental Health webguide, too, although it sounds like you're in touch with people who can help you IRL.
All the best.

In-patient units in London tend to be full of very loud, very unwell, often quite scary people.

And services can be very stretched due to the amount of demand and short staffing.

My friend had to be arrested to get a bed there. You don't want that. Go home, please.

What is a bed in a mental health ward? How does it differ from a normal ward?

I want to be near the Prime Minister, the King and the main infrastructure of the Country - especially the BBC in case I would like an interview with them.

Arrested? Why?

Doesn’t “Huw” live in London?

Unless there’s a reason to treat you outside of your health authority I assume there are implications for funding, which is probably why they will transfer you.

They said that the people are loud. I would just like a quiet room, but have guards nearby so that the loud people do not approach me.

Why do you feel safer in London? If you feel safer there why do you live in the Midlands?

You do realise that if you need treatment you'll get it in the Midlands as well as anywhere else in the country?

On a ward anywhere you might not see a doctor every day unless there is a medical need. In a crisis house you are free to come and go as you please, within reason but are expected to stay there overnight and have meetings with the workers. It’s short term support for one to two weeks max. A more calm environment than wards for people who are relatively low risk.

Yes, they said this. I don't understand how this all works though? I thought it was a NATIONAL health service?

I feel safer being treated where Huw Edwards was.