Why didn't my wife get right treatment?

[Guest guest]

Response to Suicide of patient at Norfolk mental unit

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Why didn't my wife get right treatment?

NAOMI CANTON

27 February 2006 10:11

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?

brand=ENOnline & category=News & tBrand=enonline & tCategory=news & itemid=NO

ED27%20Feb%202006%2010%3A12%3A10%3A663

A husband who said he had lost count of the times his mentally ill

wife had tried to commit suicide at a Norfolk hospital, today backed

calls for an inquiry into the treatment offered there.

, whose 51-year-old wife Penelope has been in and out

of Hellesdon Hospital for the past 10 years, called for action after

reading there had been 18 suicides at the unit since 1999. Norwich

North MP Dr Ian Gibson is leading the campaign.

Mr , 53, of The Street, Brundall, also wants to see a wider

inquiry into the care patients receive and the management of the

hospital. His wife has been treated at the unit for obsessive

compulsive disorder, depression and anorexia and on up to 20

occasions the mum-of-three has attempted to overdose on aspirin and

paracetamol.

Mr , a self-employed consultant sub-sea engineer, said: " I

feel it's totally inadequate the way my wife has been cared for.

" As her husband and a taxpayer, I don't see value for money. "

He said post natal depression after his wife's second child knocked

her for six and she developed obsessive compulsive disorder.

In 1987 she was transferred to Hellesdon and in 1996 she started

overdosing on aspirin at home. She then went in as a voluntary

patient to Hellesdon. But he discovered to his horror that she was

taking overdoses inside.

" She overdosed 10, 12, 20 times while she was a resident at the

hospital. I don't know how many times; I have lost count. I would

ask the nurses how she got the stuff and they would say they didn't

really know. "

In 2002 she left Hellesdon to receive treatment from home but

according to Mr this has been woefully inadequate. He said

Mrs had seen her consultant three times in the past 24

months on a one-to-one basis. She has not seen her community

psychiatric nurse (CPN) for several weeks and has not got an

appointment with her until April. She is also dealing with the death

of her father earlier this month.

" There is no support net for us in this current crisis, " added Mr

. " There must be lots of people out there like Penelope

without anyone to fight their corner. It's disgusting. She's been

given the wrong medication. There is so much incompetence. "

Mrs said: " It's a really horrible place. I would not go back

there unless they sectioned me. "

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust spokesman Nicola Brown

said: " We have a very robust procedure for dealing with complaints

and we take these very seriously.

" Anyone who has an issue with the care they receive has a clear

avenue through which they can address their concerns. They can speak

to the person who delivers their care or contact our Patient Advice

and Liaison Service on 0800 279 7257. "

Ü Do you have concerns over the standards of mental health care in

Norfolk? Call Alasdair McGregor at the Evening News on (01603)

772443 or email al.mcgregor@...