For the record

Letter to PALS/Complaints Manager at Beds and Luton Partnership Trust


I have received a letter and notes of the meeting, from consultant. However, I am unable to send typed correspondence to consultant as I have no printer ink.

I have a couple of outstanding concerns which do not seem to have been understood at the meeting, nor identified.

Consultant hoped that I was re-assured by the letter and meeting and said I expressed satisfaction in regards to current input in my father’s care from CMHT. I would like to explain that I am satisfied that my father’s support worker is doing all she can and, when in contact with my father, his care co-ordinator does what they can but that I have outstanding worries in regards to the level of care that is being provided. I do understand that there are resourcing issues. However, those should not be the blockage for getting my father the right care for his needs.

I am totally dissatisfied with the diagnosis provided for my father which says he has a recurrent but moderate depressive illness. I dispute this because my father’s debilitation is severe and constant.

I am also concerned because my father seems quite deluded at times and has been treated for psychosis. Treatment which has not seemed to alleviate symptoms. I have discussed my concerns around diagnosis before but nothing has been resolved in fact considering his age and constant state of debilitation, I am not sure that the diagnosis fits his state, although I am no expert I can tell the difference between moderate and severe depression but I do not know what constitutes dementia and I believe from my regular contact with my father that he has been severely depressed, with underlying delusions, for over a year. My father disputes he has delusions as he believes the thoughts are real although when he told me he had received the letter from consultant, he told me he felt he was severely depressed. I wish my concerns to be forwarded, via this email, to consultant as it is important that my words are recorded and not ‘taken out of context’.

I am more wary rather than reassured by the review meeting because, although consultant confirmed that contact would be made with other organisations to try and get the right care for my father, they too expressed concerns that my father would not get that, on the grounds that he doesn’t meet criteria. I am unsure as to what criteria organisations work from but someone in a constant state of debilitation and anxiety must meet some criteria for additional care. For example, my father had not been eating for a few days, so my friend cooked him a meal and then took me out to get shopping for him. Neither of us are in a position to cook for him daily and I suffer with agoraphobia so can only go out shopping and ensure he is eating when accompanied.

I am in constant states of worry over my father. I rang The Emergency Duty Team on Saturday morning because I felt unsafe. However, I was in no position to get to Accident and Emergency and I am not sure that seeing a GP would resolve my state. It is,at least in part, reactive to my father’s illness and fear for him. The only relief I am getting from my stress is sedation and I am having to stay sedated all of the time I am awake.

Could you please ensure a copy of this email gets to consultant and is kept on record?

As I have sent a copy of this email to MP, I am happy for the letter and notes of the meeting consultant sent me to be forwarded to MP. However, I am not in a position to do that. I would also appreciate this email being forwarded to CEO, although I understand he does not correspond directly.



Regards