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Elm Ward, West Park Hospital Darlington: Dire.

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"Elm Ward, West Park Hospital Darlington: Dire."

About: West Park Hospital

Elm Ward is meant to be single sex accommodation but they have male members of staff who even go into women's bedrooms when we're asleep. This may be to wake female patients up, but it's distressing for many women to wake up to a male stranger standing over them.

Staff on Elm Ward appear poorly trained. I ask them for copies of harm minimisation policy & admissions/discharge policy. They say they cant find them. It takes nearly a week to give me one & I never get the admissions/discharge policy. They dont follow the policies or even seem aware of their content.

I sleep through supper. I ask for a sandwich. Staff refuse. They tell me to eat the only snack provided - sickly, yellowed oranges that lie untouched in a plastic bowl. Citrus fruit causes me bad indigestion due to acid reflux disease. I'm also diabetic; they still refuse a sandwich. The staff are furious when I tell managers.

I hear staff telling patients that they aren't allowed advocates because they arent detained. Not true. All patients can access an advocate. I meet many informal patients led to believe they cant leave the ward without staff permission but when I alert managers Im seen as a trouble maker & described as 'challenging'. I see no evidence any staff are concerned that informal patients don't know they can leave. There is a tiny notice on one door where this information is buried. Ward Welcome Packs would include information on rights to leave but while I'm there patients on Elm Ward aren't given welcome packs. I ask for one but never receive it.

The ward culture seems filled with psychobabble. Ward Rounds & Multidisciplinary Team meetings are now described as 'formulation' meetings. Discharge meetings are also called 'formulation' meetings. It seems to me 'formulation' has replaced following NICE guidelines for treatment with 'care plans' informed mainly by the whims, prejudices & folk psychology of whatever staff are on the ward at the time.

I'm threatened with police for recording my consultations - which I do in line with the trusts own policy. Staff appear furious. They say if I record them they wont speak to me, only nod or shake their heads. They decide to discharge me.

Im discharged without 3rd sector staff (who are my only mental health support in the community) being informed of the discharge meeting. I'm given insufficient notice of the formulation (discharge) meeting. The staff give me a discharge plan done without me & include all the personal details of another patient on the plan. The discharge leaflet is so out-of-date it still has NHS Direct on it.

Im discharged contrary to my views on my safety & against the advice of people who know me. Some patients tell me they are back on the ward because they were discharged prematurely too. Other patients tell me they are disgusted by how Im being treated. The ward staff call the police to remove me, as I've witnessed them do to other patients.

Im readmitted to the wards less than 48hours later.

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Responses

Response from West Park Hospital 5 years ago
West Park Hospital

Submitted on 11/01/2019 at 11:20
Published on nhs.uk at 12:06

We encourage people to raise concerns and I thank you for doing this. At West Park Hospital we pride ourselves on the values and behaviours that our staff demonstrate and deliver. I apologise that you have not experienced the behaviours/values that we expect all of our staff to deliver. I will respond to the issues you raised individually.

1.

Our work force is made up of male and female staff therefore clients may receive interventions from a staff member of the opposite sex. Would expect that clients are asked prior to any intervention/contact if they have any objections to a member of staff who is of different gender attending to their needs. I apologise that this did not occur in your experience.

2.

All clients admitted to our wards should receive an admission pack which describes admission process/formulation etc. Again I apologise that you not given this information and I will address this with the ward leadership team.

3. Although we aspire to meet client’s choices in relation to food we cannot always meet aspiration. We can provide sandwiches when meals are missed and again I will address this with the ward. We have recently introduced a new menu which has been positively received by clients. We do also offer snacks throughout the day and have a canteen on site which clients are encouraged to visit.

4. You are certainly not a ‘trouble maker’ or challenging by raising these issues and thank you for bringing these to our attention.

All clients have individual leave plans which are completed in collaboration with a client and you are correct in that informal clients can leave the ward at any time. However, as a team we have a duty of care for the safety of clients in our care and at times clients are advised not to utilise leave due to their current mental state, despite their legal status. Our wards are not classified as locked wards however access is via a swipe card therefore clients do have to approach staff to be let off the ward. I will ensure that the signage on the door relating to this issue is clearly visible on our wards.

5. This point would not have been an issue if you had been given a ward information pack as all the questions raised would have been answered. Again I apologise.

6. The Trust’s Use of Visual and Audio Recordings in Clinical Procedures states that recording of consultations can only be conducted with the full and informed consent of all service users and staff. Again I apology for the behaviours demonstrated by the staff member as I would have expected them to advise you of their rights in relation to recording sessions.

7. We aim as a team to work collaboratively with clients, carers and other partners. This philosophy of working commences from the time a client is admitted to a ward. Discharge planning commences from admission and treatment continues following discharge in the community. The client is central to everything that we do, however services have been redesigned to support/treat clients in the community thus reducing the length of hospital stays.

Beverley Bowman. Modern Matron West Park Hospital

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