"Very poor care for someone in mental health crisis"

This A&E was found unsafe in past CQC inspections for people with mental health conditions . It claims to have had a revamp but that doesn't seem to have got through to staff. Particularly some of the seniors nursing staff and the security that can only be described as wholly aggressive and used in place of nurses. This has LONG been a complaint of this Trust that despite the fact they are meant to allocate a nurse to a mental health patient - as you would with any other patient - they did not

I took my brother to A&E because this is where all those in mental health crisis are told to go. \\believe me no one wants to be there. He has a long history of psychotic depression. He had harmed himself and taken a suicide attempt.

I felt that the comments from nurses on duty was appalling and their response when asked why there was NO allocated nurse to the mental health rooms was we should go and complain to PALS;. 2 of them were overheard actually stating that people like my brother shouldnt be allowed in A&E and why doesnt he do the job properly. We all heard them say this within earshot and in public. My brother got extremely distressed at this and saw it a confirmation he should try kill himself.

My brother has had awful experiences at the same A&E in the past.

In my view the security guards are untrained clinically and extremely aggressive. They laughed about my brother's distress as they stood outside the door. I felt their behavour was disgusting and seemingly they can do this because that is the culture and ethos of the department