"My child and our family's 2nd experience"

My child's first admission to the ward was an all round positive experience albeit the reason we actually ended up there for over 1 month was not. The care team were phenomenal out of this world. Many many times I had to pinch myself because myself my family and my child received such dedicated personalized care and support that I was blown away. I was kept in constant contact with my child's care team, notified about any changes in plans, behavior issues, progress, how my child was responding to treatment, if something was planned out there was always a plan b, c, d and I felt about it. I was given open floor during meetings and was invited to "let it all out" I was heard and validated as a parent and a person.

However unfortunately 2 weeks after discharge my child's mental health declined and they required readmission. During their approx 2.5 weeks there they were kept isolated in POD 1 and airlock for extended periods of time of which our family felt was very counter productive in helping them get better. I completely and fully understood that at times my child became very escalated and the safety of staff and other patients are the priority, I will never deny that yes at times it was necessary to restrain and isolate my child until they were able regulate themselves.

However there was an incident when my parent took my child out on day leave from the ward for a few hours and upon their return my child's belongings were removed from their room and strewn into a seclusion room. My child was told and my parent was told that a new patient was on the ward and the move was required for safety reasons and that my child would be allowed to return to their room "soon". Hours later my child had not been moved back to their room. Had no bed linen, not in a paper cup to drink water. They had to cup their hands under the tap to drink. Their request for bedsheets was seemingly dismissed and they were told a nurse would bring them sheets soon. My child rang home distressed and my elderly parent drove 50 minutes to the hospital to make sense of the situation. It was only after they demanded sheets that they were provided. My parent had to make my child's bed. I feel it was absolutely appalling. When we mentioned no cup for water we were told my child just has to ask.

As I understand it, they would knock on the nurses station window for hours asking for certain things only to be seemingly dismissed or ignored. And yes the result of this was a very angry and agitated patient, who then needed restraining by security and chucked into isolation.

My child's care team this time round would very seldom update our family on their progress. Dr's would go round and round in circles when we voiced our concerns and I believe we were often just seen as an annoying family. My other parent cooked meals for my child and yes I know that meals and snacks are not to be kept in the rooms but when my child requested the meals and snacks they never appeared no one could find them so my child wasn't given them!

We decided as a family to discharge my child against medical advice as we felt it was doing more harm than good keeping them there. A meeting that was booked on a Friday for the following Monday was a complete mess. Our family waited almost 1 hour to see my child's Dr only to find out there was no record of this meeting and no one knew about it. We arrived half an hours early for an afternoon meeting time and left 2 hours after the meeting time with absolutely nothing achieved but frustration. During this waiting game my child was informed that their family was on the ward they were looking forward to seeing us but was kept waiting and became very escalated. We were told by the shift coordinator we couldn't see my child. And as I understand it, my child was told by nurses that we didn't want to see them and left! That was an awful night.

The following day my parent went to see my child and during the visit they were convinced to leave their room, then was lead out to reception and wasn't allowed back in. I believe only after my parent said they would call the media and police did the doctor change their tune and allowed my parent back in. I was on the phone to the doctor and requested help with transferring my child into a private facility which they flatly told me they were not going to assist me with that.

I had enough I gave consent to my parent to discharge my child from that moment. Isolating and medicating that's all my child received and I feel it did more harm than good. Telling them that they are in a place that's, akin to a prison where their rights a close to zero, where the nurses are the law? What kind of thing is that to say to a child with mental health illness? And the nurse who said that to my child actually told my parents that that's what they said to my child.

I'm the first to admit that my child was a very complex and at times difficult and very agitated patient and that process and procedures must be followed to ensure safety of everyone but I believe the way they were treated during this admission was absolutely horrible. I was very disappointed and let down as was my child.

I'm so thankful for our wonderful CAMHS outpatient care team, they have been phenomenal since my child left the ward. I hope the nurses and Dr's from this admission do better much better than what we had to experience.