NB Did you know that when psych patients are admitted, there’s a policy (yes, yet another one) obliging staff – this means nurses – to screen them for all the physical illnesses and conditions that the psychiatric population (well, a subsection of it if we’re being honest) suffers disproportionally. And to be treated for anything they uncover, obviously.
NB This worthy piece (*ii) from the RCP mentions cancer and heart disease. Aaah, whose stony heart would wish to deny anyone equal access to those services? They fail to mention the other conditions that don’t attract aahs. Respiratory diseases, Hepatitis B & C, HIV and infections. STDs. Bladder dysfunction following Ketamine abuse. Infections picked up from a dog-end lifted from the bin or gutter. Yes, that subset of our population cross-pollinates with addicts, scrotes, prisoners and the homeless, but even so, think about the injustice of getting to jump the queue for something self-inflicted and chosen.
On the other hand, in principle anyway, the compulsory screening is a good idea (*iii) genuinely achieves positive outcomes, since these chaotic people cannot organise the washing up, never mind making a GP appointment. And since they look after themselves so poorly, they are really in dire need of tx for those illnesses and conditions. But managers and politicians drum up bullshit phrases and ‘values’ like ‘parity of esteem’ (*iv) to show off to each other how incredibly noble and generous they are. It means our patients (don’t forget Polly, this isn’t just the poor man with a MDE, so depressed he’s hardly eaten in the week leading up to his flatmate, friend or relative making the awful, gut-wrenching decision to call mental health on him. It’s also the sadistic personality disorder nonce who will, if given half a chance, rape the weakest looking female patient on the ward, it’s the thieving Romanian gypsy only here for benefits who has made himself psychotic – for the umpteenth time – by binging on cocaine, spice, heroin, mamba and so on, that our generous DSS pay him the money to buy) get preferential access (remember, in most hospitals doctors are there 24/7 and those doctors are also bullied and threatened to meet the audited KPI targets) to the healthcare you and I wait by the phone at 0800 to access or wait eons for a consultant appointment or operation.
*ii) Dr Ed Beveridge, the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Presidential Lead for Physical Health, said:
“Around 120 adults with severe mental illness die prematurely every single day in England, this is totally unacceptable. These lives are needlessly cut short by an average of 15 to 20 years, often due to avoidable physical illnesses….A single physical health check could save a life…”
Bullshit Ed. The check is not enough, it must be followed by an appointment (that’s if the pt is still in hospital and reasonably organised enough to attend) followed by treatment that the patient actually attends for and/or picks up from the pharmacy and takes the correct doses … could save his life. A lot of ifs between cup and lip. Painful, uncomfortable, inconvenient treatments reduce the odds even more, not just for our pts. But don’t let that stop your amateur dramatics.
*iii) It would be a good idea IF the heroic mangers gave nurses the time, resources and support they actually needed to carry out this huge extra duty on top of everything else they have to do in a shift. Or come down to the wards and do it themselves – only joking, obviously. But they don’t, they always dump their unwanted extra work downwards.
(*iv) Ethically, I have no duty at all to assign an unemployed, benefit cheating, shoplifting, thieving, violent, chav with scores of arrests (but fewer charges and even fewer convictions) whose taxpayer funded accommodation became unfit for human habitation soon after he moved in, so addicted he spends every waking hour thieving, with the same esteem I hold decent, law abiding, employed citizens in. But I wouldn’t say it out loud to a manager.
So, what’s the solution? Bring back the bins – although we can make them far better than they were and not cost half as much as they do now.
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