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distressed and feeling let down by public services.

kathben

This is my first post on this website and I hope I am posting in the right place. I am also hoping to gain some help and support.

My son is 18 years old and on the autisc spectrum. He seems to be suffering a nervous breakdown and his own anger is really scaring him ( and me) . Last night he attacked me (not for the first time) and then asked us to get him to the hospital for help. He knows that he needs help and desparately wants it. He couldn't stand the wait in the hospital and left. His father was with him but there was nothing he could do, on his own, to prevent this.  Eventualy the police found our son and took him back to the hospital. He was then sent home and told to contact his GP in the morning. We took him to the GP who refered him to the mental health emergency response team. He was told that the team would ring him within the hour. They didn't  Two and a half hours later I rang the surgery and they promised to check up and ring back. They didn't. My son lost it again and as I had been advised last night by NHS Direct to ring social services for help, I decided to do so . I told them that my son was physically attacking me and threatening to kill me but as soon as I mentioned that he was  'autisic' the person at the other end said that as this was a medical condition they wouldn't be able to help. I feel totally let down by everyone except the policeman who handled  my son with great skill, kindness and understanding. In 18 years I have never called Social Services and only did so because the NHS advised me to - I rang the tel. no supplied by them. In the end my husband took our son back to the doctor's surgery and refused to leave. Eventually we gained access to the emergency response team. I haven't slept at all - neither has my son. The response team admitted that the hospital should have dealt with this last night.They also told me that the surgery had provided them with an incorrect telephone number.

We need help as a family. The first GP  I spoke to this morning tried to defend the hospital and said that my son was stupid to leave the hospital the first time round. If he had really needed help he would not have done this. There is no understanding - none at all. My son is on the autistic spectrum for goodness' sake. There is a full diagnosis and it is on his medical records.

Parents

  • Go back to your GP and ask for a referral to a counseler that is specialised in autism/ASD etc. DO NOT LEAVE THE SURGERY without that referral. If the GP won't give you the referral then tell the GP that you would like to make a FORMAL complaint and go to the receptionist and make a formal complaint.

    Go back to social services and tell them that your son needs a social worker. DO NOT ACCEPT that because he's autistic that they are unable to deal with him as my brother is 25 and autistic and has his own social worker.

    The NHS and local authority social services complaints procedureFirst stage - resolution of the complaint at a local level

    To complain about any aspect of NHS treatment you've received or have been refused, or services provided by the local authority social services, go to the organisation concerned. Ask for a copy of the complaints procedure. You can do this for any service provided by the NHS, for example, GPs, opticians, dentists, and hospitals, and local authority social services departments.

    In all cases, the first stage of the procedure is to make a complaint to the practitioner concerned. A social services department must have a member of staff who deals with complaints. They are called the complaints manager. A large health centre may also have a complaints manager. A smaller practice will probably not have a complaints manager, but all NHS practices have a procedure, and someone who has responsibility for it. In most cases, the matter will be resolved at this stage.

    The complaints manager can arrange for an independent conciliator or mediator to be brought in to help resolve the complaint.

    Second stage – referral to an ombudsman

    If you are unhappy with the decision of the complaints manager at the organisation concerned, you do not have a right of appeal. However, you can refer the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if the complaint is about the NHS, or the Local Government Ombudsman if the complaint is about social services.

    Hope this helps and gets you and your son the support you/he need(s)

Reply

  • Go back to your GP and ask for a referral to a counseler that is specialised in autism/ASD etc. DO NOT LEAVE THE SURGERY without that referral. If the GP won't give you the referral then tell the GP that you would like to make a FORMAL complaint and go to the receptionist and make a formal complaint.

    Go back to social services and tell them that your son needs a social worker. DO NOT ACCEPT that because he's autistic that they are unable to deal with him as my brother is 25 and autistic and has his own social worker.

    The NHS and local authority social services complaints procedureFirst stage - resolution of the complaint at a local level

    To complain about any aspect of NHS treatment you've received or have been refused, or services provided by the local authority social services, go to the organisation concerned. Ask for a copy of the complaints procedure. You can do this for any service provided by the NHS, for example, GPs, opticians, dentists, and hospitals, and local authority social services departments.

    In all cases, the first stage of the procedure is to make a complaint to the practitioner concerned. A social services department must have a member of staff who deals with complaints. They are called the complaints manager. A large health centre may also have a complaints manager. A smaller practice will probably not have a complaints manager, but all NHS practices have a procedure, and someone who has responsibility for it. In most cases, the matter will be resolved at this stage.

    The complaints manager can arrange for an independent conciliator or mediator to be brought in to help resolve the complaint.

    Second stage – referral to an ombudsman

    If you are unhappy with the decision of the complaints manager at the organisation concerned, you do not have a right of appeal. However, you can refer the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if the complaint is about the NHS, or the Local Government Ombudsman if the complaint is about social services.

    Hope this helps and gets you and your son the support you/he need(s)

Children
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