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Mental health care and patient rights

Posted By asteropegr54

"Mental health care and patient rights"

About: Bethesda Hospital

(as the patient),

The food is great.

As a vulnerable person admitting to Bethesda to help manage my deteriorating mental health due to increased anxiety and depression, not only do I believe Bethesda defied the Principles outlined in the Mental Health Act 2014 but feel my human rights have been violated as per below

Mental Health Care Principle: Addressing physical, medical or other co-occurring health issues as well as Australian Health Practitioner Agency (AHPRA) guidelines on reportable concerns . There has seemingly been a lack of monitoring of symptoms- and when worsening symptoms and side effects of new medications are expressed- I recall there has been no advice or care provided. Overall, I feel a failure to examine me and respond reasonably to my needs by certain nursing staff and my doctor. 

- Mental Health Care Principle: my right to clear information about my mental health and treatment: I have had No access to my care plan despite repeated requests for this information.

- Mental Health Care Principle: Planning which involves carers and family members: I feel there has been Lack of information given to both myself letting me know of my right to having support and advocacy and lack of information given to my partner- despite multiple requests.

- Mental Health Care Principle: safe and accessible services. I have been informed that despite my worsening condition I am not entitled to further treatment and I believe there has been no attempt at a referral to a more appropriate service e.g. another private hospital facility. It seems there has been No follow up after my request for a second opinion declined the referral.

Mental Health Care Principle- my right to unique care as an individual - I believe I have been given incorrect information that the length of stay is strictly 2 weeks despite my deteriorating condition, I recall I have been advised to discharge without a doctor review, despite expressing deteriorating condition. I have been told that all patients have 2 weeks regardless of outcomes as I understand it.

- Mental health care Principle: An organisational culture of dignity, equality, courtesy and compassion - I feel I have been Targeted and threatened by therapist and Senior Social Worker in front of other patients in group therapy, as well as alone in the room with no option for support person or advocacy to be present.

- Human Right as a person suffering a psychosocial disability- I believe I have not been treated as someone who is vulnerable in need of care, I feel My disability has been disregarded as I have spoken up about the lack of quality of care I have been provided, and believe this has disadvantaged me and my right to being treated respectfully has been violated.

I have serious concerns as I have now been discharged home, while my condition is in fact worse than when I arrived. I feel incredibly hopeless and have lost faith in the system.

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Responses

Response from Care Opinion Australia, Care Opinion Australia 8 months ago
Care Opinion Australia
Care Opinion Australia

Submitted on 10/08/2023 at 9:36 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 9:42 AM

This response has been published by Care Opinion on behalf of Bethesda Health Care.

Dear asteropegr54,

Thank you for submitting feedback about your recent stay at Bethesda Clinic. Feedback is extremely important to us and is a fundamental way in which we can develop and improve our new service.

I have carefully read your feedback and it’s clear that your experience with us did not meet your expectations. I sincerely regret that this was your experience. I can assure you that we take the holistic wellbeing of each of our patients very seriously. We, as a multi-disciplinary team, work collaboratively with each patient to improve their mental health. Whilst the average length of stay is 14 days and our therapy program is structured around a 14-day duration, decisions to extend beyond 14 days are clinical decisions made by the treating Psychiatrist in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team, the patient, and their significant others. We apologise if some of the messaging related to the 14-day program was unclear and caused distress.

As a new service we have a number of mechanisms in which we provide information to our patients and to those they have given permission to access information. We have a ‘consumer portal’ that is accessible prior to admission and is designed to be used throughout the clinic stay. The aim of the portal is to give the patient twenty-four hour access to their care plan and other important information pertaining to their stay. If you had difficulties in accessing your care plan on the portal, we apologise and commit to reviewing this element of our service to ensure it is as user friendly as possible. The patient’s individual care plan is always available on the consumer portal. The care plan is also the focus of the multi-disciplinary team review which is held weekly with the patient and relevant support person invited to be involved in the meeting.

Each patient’s room has a TV that is both an entertainment system and an information system. Patients are able to watch free to air TV, as well as cast from their own handheld devices to provide access to a wide range of viewing options. On the information section of the entertainment system there is information on a wide variety of topics, some of which includes information on housekeeping matters, but also on aspects related to health care rights. Additionally, there is displayed information in all clinical areas related to healthcare rights and the Health Care Charter. I am sorry if you feel this information did not meet your needs and I commit to reviewing this information to ensure it’s as accessible as possible. I can assure you there is never any desire or intent to cause any sense of threat to anybody within the organization and regret that any communication was perceived by you in this way.

I think it is important to acknowledge that sometimes in a clinical setting there is a need to have ‘difficult conversations’ as part of the therapeutic process and these may be uncomfortable. Conversations of this nature are never undertaken alone with a patient. There is always at least one other person present of the same gender as the patient to ensure that there is a sense of safety for all concerned. Our service always ensures that there is support available during and after these conversations occur. This is a normal part of the therapeutic process.

In some situations, a patient may request a second opinion regarding their diagnosis from another psychiatrist. This is often done as an outpatient appointment with a second psychiatrist. A discharge coordinator meets with consumers prior to discharge to ensure follow-up care arrangements are in place, which will usually be a GP or psychiatrist appointment. All patients receive a follow-up call from the clinic within seven days of discharge from hospital. Bethesda Clinic is a new organisation that is stiving to provide the best possible care for our patients. We value all feedback as an opportunity to grow and improve. We commit to reviewing our communication processes to ensure they are optimal moving forward.

Best wishes

Dr Richard Bostwick

General Manager

Bethesda Clinic

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