In order to bring about some closure, I intend to review a doctor who has had a profound effect on my life, and I would really appreciate any feedback from you guys here.

I really, really need to do this to move on, even if it's just on some silly review website where it'll never be seen. I've removed name and place references here, though they'll be correct on the review site.

Anyway, it goes like this:


This review relates to the Dr XXX who worked as an SHO in Psychiatry and from 01/11/01 as a specialist registrar in XXX.

This doctor assessed my brother’s mental state upon admission to hospital on both the 1st of August and the 8th of August for drug overdoses.

My brother had previously taken an overdose that resulted in a stay in ICU. He had attempted to slash his throat in the past (requiring stitches). He had also taken a video recorder in the bath.

This doctor maintains that my brother was seen by the duty psychiatrist prior to his discharge from hospital; however, I remember very clearly that we, as a family, begged for a second opinion from the nurse who was present, but we were told that due to Dr XXX's recommendation, this was not possible. I do not know how these two conflicting claims can be reconciled. We were never given any answers. We said to the attending nurse at this time that if he was sent away, he would be dead within two months.

My brother successfully ended his life on 10th October 2001. My father found him, and when he was unable to resuscitate his son, he too took his own life. I found them both.

In his report to the coroner, Dr XXX says:

When I assessed his mental state at this time I noted that he appeared quite grubby and he was in his work clothes wearing a “just tyres” T-shirt. He appeared to be very drowsy and did appear to me to still be intoxicated. At times his eyes were rolling back and his eyelids would droop. His speech was reduced in amount but spontaneous and towards the end of the interview his speech appeared slightly slurred. His mood he described as relaxed and he appeared calm to the point of actually being subdued and drowsy. In terms of his thoughts as I have mentioned he denied any current suicidal intent.

[…]

I did not assess his cognitive state as I felt that he was still showing signs of acute intoxication and that I would not be able to get a true measure of his attention and concentration.

I find it disturbing that a doctor specialising in Psychiatry who had progressed to SHO could consider it fitting to assess suicidal intent, when he did not consider it fitting to assess cognition. The above description makes it clear to me that my brother’s mental state and suicidal intent was assessed when he was still intoxicated.

In 2004, when my mother and I felt able to, we began the NHS complaints procedure regarding my brother’s care, as we felt his (and more so my father’s death) could have been prevented if the right actions were taken. We wished to see Dr XXX mainly so that we could accept his personal regret, see that everyone involved was human, and move on with our lives.

Instead, we were sent a letter telling us in no uncertain terms how “committed” and “conscientious” Dr XXX is, and given a meeting (that Dr XXX himself did not bother to attend) at which we were talked around in circles by two of his friends and colleagues in what amounted to a cold and shocking display of disregard for mine and my mother’s mental health and my very real concerns.

With the best will in the world, no psychiatrist could be ignorant of the effect of such disregard on a person who had recently lost half of their family to suicide.

I was last year diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (a condition that predated 2001). It took a long time to reach this point as I was terrified of being referred to mental health services, and only eventually agreed with my GP to do so after he had reassured me that Dr XXX no longer worked anywhere he might have access or input into my care.

I can only review based on my own experiences and opinion.