Why are so many Mothers of children with invisable medical conditions getting accused of Munchausens by Proxy/FII?

[BuildUpMyFence]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2554867/The-schools-spy-Munchausen-Mums-Teachers-accuse-lying-childrens-autism-attention.html

What is going on in child protection training that so many Professionals are so obsessed with this type of witch hunt?

[AnyoneForTardis]

I ve been accused of being neurotic by doctors trying to get the best/required medical help for my extremely autistic DC.

So, because IM not taken seriously, my poor DC doesn't receive the help shes SUPPOSED to be getting.

[0justice]

Yes, as someone with EDS and ASC and two ASC children I know this culture of false accusations against parents well. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/feeling_depressed/903685-This-fear-that-social-services-will-come-and-take-your?pg=24#add_message

The trouble is not only ignorant professionals with frenzied training, it's that there are so many rotten apples in the barrel too. Social services is full of "little Hitler" types who lie through their teeth knowing that there is no comeback on them. Either they go into the job wide-eyed and bushy tailed and get dragged down by the system or they are people with personality deficits/disorders who get off on the utter control they think they have over others. When it's middle class families it likely gives them even more of a thrill. Because those are the families being targeted more and more now:

Parents Protecting Children wrote (in conjunction with several other organisations and campaigners) to the Government regarding this issue and they didn't even reply (multiple MPs and ministers mind you). They don't give a damn, they are likely aware of it. It needs more and more media, and as much as some people might like to knock the Daily Mail et al, at least they are brave enough to publish the stories, which social workers will say are untrue because it's the DM and you only get one side. I have experienced and read about the experience of enough other wrongly targeted families to know these stories are true.

[CFSKate]

Here are some stories from America, I saw this on an ME/CFS forum, but it's not actually about ME patients, it's about mitochondrial disease.

^"The hospital refused to allow the girl, 15-year-old Justina Pelletier, to leave after her parents brought her in with a case of the flu. Justina had been diagnosed and treated by Tufts doctors for Mitochondrial Disorder, a rare genetic disease. On Feb. 10 her doctor was unavailable and sent her to Boston Children’s Hospital.

But the hospital told Justina’s parents, Lou and Linda Pelletier, that Mitochondrial Disease, which Justina’s 25-year-old sister is also being treated for, does not exist, Pelletier told the Daily Mail. Instead, hospital doctors diagnosed the teen with Somatoform Disorder, a mental illness characterized by pain and gastrointestinal symptoms that have no identifiable physical cause.

The hospital escorted the Pelletiers out of the hospital, according to a FOX CT report, took Justina off the medications prescribed by her doctors and took custody of her, refusing to let her parents take her for a second opinion or scheduled visit with her regular doctor.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families took custody of the girl and now limits the Pelletier’s contact with Justina to just one hour a week, with two 20-minute phone calls (which are monitored by hospital staff). Justina is also not allowed to be alone with her parents. Orders, pictured on the Daily Mail, were given to prohibit a second opinion being sought and to limit the number of doctors working on Justina’s case.

Now, 10 months later, Justina is locked in a psychiatric ward and unable to leave. When she entered, she was able to walk, ice skate for hours and hike with her dog. She loved school and pedicures with her sister, according to the Daily Mail article.

Now, Justina is too weak to stand, is listless and depressed and has been told by hospital staff that she will never leave, her older sister Jennifer said. Those symptoms, which the hospital is citing as proof of the Somatoform have been created by the hospital, she said.^

[CouthyMow]

Well, they never did! But then they closed the case in June and I didn't find out until I rang them in August for some support with DD...

I mean, I knew, I'd guessed, it wasn't a huge stretch of the imagination to know what they were thinking, given I know other EDS / HMS mums who had also been investigated for FII, and a couple of Autism mums too.

But 'knowing' and being told straight out are two different things.

And do you really expect MY LA to do anything by the book, Mrs Devere??!!

[CouthyMow]

(They don't tell you at the time that that is what you are being investigate for, I knew it was, but it was still a shock when she brought that out into the open this morning.)

[CouthyMow]

I have it it confirmed today by the SW dealing with DD that I was indeed investigated by SS for FII last year when I had SS involvement, but it was proven not to be the case because my DC's DO have genuine health issues, and it WAS a health professional (my Current and soon to be ex GP is my best guess given the SW's hints and his refusal to attend the CIN meetings last year.) that referred the allegation.

They have NO issues with FII, and I pointed out to her that a lot of parents with children suffering from EDS and hypermobility syndrome have been subject to these allegations, and that there have even been conferences about this subject involving EDSUK and HMSA.

She is going to do some research into that!! She was shocked by the whole thing on going through my paperwork, and said that she will ensure that it doesn't happen again.

[Spero]

Thanks, will add.

[BuildUpMyFence]

They also try to avoid answer the questions you put to them by pretending to not understand, and answering something you have not asked them.

[BuildUpMyFence]

They avoid answering questions to fob you off. The ombudsman looks at the way the complaint response has been answered by the agency. you have to have meetings first to show willing for local resolution. I have only taken one to the ombudsman, it was premature.

[Spero]

Yes, it would be helpful to add that - do you want to write a few paras or are you happy to let me paraphrase?

There is clearly a need for a post about complaints - routes, mechanisms etc. so if anyone has any info or tips they could share, that would be great too.

[Spero]

Well done to you for having the tenacity to fight on.

I grew up having to deal with lots of doctors and yes, the arrogance and the lack of human compassion in a fair few is still with me today...

I went with a friend last week to have a scan - her GP panicked at some abdominal lumps (fortunately only fibroids it turns out), he sent her to a consultant who recommended a particular scan... and my friend had to argue in the corridor for 15 mins with an ultra sound technician who was telling her the consultant had ordered the 'wrong scan' !!

I do think the problem is that when certain professionals get an 'idea' in their head it is very, very hard to get it out. I think we ALL need to check our assumptions and be willing to shift when the evidence suggests we must.

[insanityscatching]

Well then if nothing else it will encourage parents to complain because it wasn't until we got in front of the LHA that the GP's acknowledged they were wrong, they still believed that ds's difficulties were either imagined /exaggerated or caused by my PND.
At ds's multi disciplinary assessment, the HV attended and was still adamant that it was me even though she had listened to the paed, the child psychologist, the OT, the SALT, the ed psych, the Early Years SSSEN teacher discussing their assessments and documenting their own observations.
At the end the paed dismissed her telling her that ds and myself had been failed by the practise and that I was a tremendous mother who put her ds first because I had tolerated her attendance purely because I didn't want any delays in getting support for ds. But I had a new GP from that day so she wasn't needed and none of the correspondence would be sent to the GPs but would be forwarded to the new one. He said she was speechless

[Spero]

Please check and let me know if you are ok with this. The formatting has gone a bit wonky for insanity's post but I will carry on trying to fix it.

www.childprotectionresource.org.uk/the-impact-of-investigation-and-the-need-for-professionalism/

[Spero]

thanks insanity - I don't know if we can ever prevent people acting badly but what I hope is that your words might give some other parents inspiration - or at least might make some professionals stop and think a bit.

We have already had one supportive comment from a trainee social worker, so hopefully she will read and spread the word!

[insanityscatching]

Yes you can quote me, if it goes in any way to preventing someone else experiencing anything like it then it has to be a good thing doesn't it?

[Spero]

Thanks Mrs DeV - I have cut and pasted your words and made them into the basis of a separate post, because I think this is an important matter.

Could you check and let me know if you are ok with what I have done?

And insanity - if you would also be ok with me including your comments, please let me know.

I think you both write very clearly and get your point accross well.

www.childprotectionresource.org.uk/the-impact-of-investigation-and-the-need-for-professionalism/

[insanityscatching]

Oh god yes, the GPs got roasted because of their initial response to my complaint so file it away and when they have to answer to their seniors you bring that response up as well It wasn't easy to complain, I was going through ds's dx and getting a statement but I had to, to regain some self worth as they pretty much destroyed me. Seeing them scared and squirming helped redress the balance and I walked out with my head held high as the panel were very sympathetic and told them I was very impressive .

[insanityscatching]

That is exactly it, ds was my fourth child, I was never neurotic, I had never expressed any concerns about the others, never needed any support and the others thrived. Suddenly that all counted for nothing, they totally dismissed that I knew what the average child should be able to do and ds was nothing like average.
I even said I thought it was autism (because ds presented as classical autism and I was looking for reasons why) but that was seen as being proof it was MBP. The psychiatrist himself asked for referral for assessment for autism because it was so obvious and yet the GPs thought they knew better than the psychiatrist and the SALT.Their arrogance astounds me to this day.
The HV was forced to retire soon after my complaint when a baby nearly died because of her advice but the GPs are still there and it's an open secret in this area that if a child enters school with developmental difficulties that haven't been noticed or addressed the child is at that practise so my complaint counted for nothing in the end.
Hang in their Mrsd, go through every complaints procedure, it's bloody frustrating but I got a little pleasure knowing I was giving them extra work and they were shit scared up before the health authority which pleased me no end.