Home / Health / Mother Navigates Broken Mental Health System
Mother Navigates Broken Mental Health System
14 May
Summary
- Mother felt powerless to prevent early discharge from psychiatric ward.
- Concerns about son's mental health were raised but not acted upon.
- Mother advocates for systemic changes in mental healthcare services.
A mother is sharing her difficult journey navigating the mental health system for her son. Her son was first admitted to Highbury Hospital in Nottingham in May 2020 following an attempted break-in. Despite the mother's concerns that a June 2020 discharge was premature, she felt she had no power to contest it.
Following his discharge, she contacted the mental health crisis team due to worries about his deteriorating condition, but only a phone call to her son was made. Two days later, the crisis team contacted her again, reporting another attempted break-in. By August 2020, she had raised concerns about her son posing a risk to others.
She expressed to an inquiry that she had to manage the system alone, without explanations of risks or guidance on what to observe. The mother highlighted the immense anxiety of constantly fearing a call about her loved one, stating that reaching a crisis point is too late.
Addressing the inquiry chair, she pleaded for changes to ensure no other family endures such a solitary struggle. She emphasized the need for clear communication about diagnoses and necessary care, describing the system as profoundly broken. Her hope is to prevent others from experiencing the same fear and uncertainty.
