Care in the community – success and failures
It is 20 years since Lincolnshire's St John's mental hospital closed, part of the controversial Care In The Community scheme, which saw thousands of patients being sent out in to the community.
For some people, the change was a liberation, allowing those who had previously been confined to hospital to live independent lives.
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The former St John's Hospital
But others fell through the cracks in the system and ended up homeless and desperate.
And in a small minority of headline-grabbing cases, some patients committed horrendous crimes.
A schizophrenic, who asked to remain anonymous, has created a independent life for himself after spending 15 years in city's former St John's hospital.
Now 68, the former cabinet-maker and joiner was first admitted to St John's in 1964 where he was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Re-admitted in 1967 he spent the next 15 years in hospital until he was eventually released under care in the community.
"At the time, though, I thought I'd spend the rest of my days in hospital," he said.
"I'm on medication and know I can contact a community psychiatric nurse should I need to.
"If people were still kept living in institutions I wouldn't have had the chance to do this."
But for Mark Hughes, living in the community was a struggle.
The depression sufferer (43) was homeless and suicidal before he received a council flat and help to live independently.
His mother also suffered from depression and was a patient at St John's hospital.
Aged 13, the youngster went to live in a care home where he was sexually abused by two boys.
He cites these experiences as the start of his battle with depression which led him to self -harm and attempt to take his life on several occasions.
Mr Hughes eventually ended up living homeless in the grounds of Lincoln Cathedral for a year until 2005 when he was given a council flat in Cannon Street, Lincoln.
For more stories from those who have suffered and prospered in the community, see Monday's Echo.
2 Comments
by Z. Kellerman, West Ermine
Monday, July 20 2009, 11:42AM
“Agreed with you there John, same can be said for therapies such as C.B.T. (group therapy) - it's all about the NHS cutting corners and saving as much money as possible.
For example, take P.H.C. (Peter Hodgkinson's Unit) in Lincoln - one of the only Psychiatric Units left in Lincoln which 'dump' those with more 'minor' mental illnesses such as depression or eating disorders with those with serious, life-long conditions such as Bi-Polar Disorder or Schizophrenia.
Drug addicts, alcoholics, and the homeless are also referred or sectioned there..
Whilst I find it great that the man suffering from Schizophrenia is living independantly successfully, many of those whom are suffering from Schizophrenia often need constant support, not just seeing an underqualified Community Psychiatric Nurse (for a client with schizophrenia) once in a blue moon.
Inpatient units (or 'mental hospitals' as the Echo likes to label draconian-style) do indeed help patients on a more effective level than community support - but the problem is, there's so few around the Lincolnshire area for the specialized care needed, for example, someone suffering from Anorexia Nervosa is poorly, or not regularly available.
Referrals to an inpatient unit can often take months and months to process, and then you're put on the waiting list for a long time until a bed is available.”
by John, Lincoln
Monday, July 20 2009, 8:30AM
“Care in the community was the cheaper version of helping people with mental health problems.
The Conservatives were instrumental in imposing this and closing down mental hospitals all over the UK to save money.
It failed before it began due to lack of resources and the lack of professional help for those suffering from mental health problems.
It is failing today for the same reasons.
Residental homes are expected to cater for them where its residents are expected to leave the premises for most of the day.
You can see folk roaming about the city centre who keep asking "what is the time."
Some are people are alcoholics and drug addicts.
There have been many murders in the UK caused by people with mental health problems and from these cases those people were found drifting from place to place with no where to go,no place for them at the inn. and medical help available for them has been restricted or unavailable.
Very little has been done to rectify the situation - all because of the lack of money.
What has been sown, cities are now reaping.”