"Eating disorder discharge"

My child was transferred from Medical Ward at FSH to the Youth Mental health unit recently. They were formed as it is the only way they will follow all directions or at least try. The team said it would not be removed until my child had seen their team in the following days and then most likely not until closer to their discharge date. I should mention my child has ASD, Eating disorder - Restrictive Anorexia Nervosa plus other mental health comorbidities.

The following day, my child messaged me stating they kept threatening them with discharge with every meal they didn't try to consume. As my child has ASD the word ‘discharge’ is quite triggering and remunerates  through their mind until it got to their night feed and it all became way too much so again my child was threatened with discharge so they had enough and asked to leave as they felt they were not getting support to get them through their thoughts and feelings.

We called the YMHU to find out what had happened and got a call back from on-call registrar that they had just seen my child and believes my child needs to stay until a plan can be put in place. I recall they also stated my child was medically unstable and if they left it would be against medical advice. I told the registrar I will talk with my child and get them to stay until then. I managed to do that. The registrar also told my child their forms had been revoked earlier that day by the on-call psychiatrist. A nurse then went in and tried the feed but my child was at ASD melting point. They then again said as my child refused their night feed, they were going to be discharged. We told the nurse it was not in my child’s best interest to be discharged considering we were told it was against medical advice. A nurse was then called to remove their Ng tube and bridle.

My child was discharged close to midnight. In my opinion, this is not acceptable treatment. It was quite distressing for my child and both of us as parents. Surely my child should not have had their forms revoked by some random, on-call psych who only met them that day. My child does best with stability and routine. If something is in their plan they try their best, but if staff miss several of my child’s snack times or supper clashes with night feed start times, it throws them. I feel my child should not have been punished or constantly threatened with discharge at every meal time/snack time. On discharge (which I believe was at a ridiculous time) they did not provide all medications my child was on while on the medical and YMHU.