“Everyone said, ‘In there at least she’s going to get help’ but she didn’t 
get anything at all.”
Amy’s mother on Amy’s removal to the Priory Hospital Ticehurst House in August 2012.
3 months later 14 year old Amy was dead.
Amy was a troubled, confused teenager but why ?
Her mother described her as having
‘ a warm heart and a great sense of humour.’
’ She never liked to see people treated unfairly and would be the first to stand and say ‘that’s not right’’
But the tragic irony was that Amy herself, was treated beyond unfairly and no one systemically, could stand up for her.
Amy’s forthrightness and conviction contributed to her CAMH’s diganoses of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), defined as a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behaviour.
And Conduct Disorder(CO),-a range of antisocial types of behaviour displayed in childhood or adolescence.
It would appear hormonal teenage behaviour can constitute a ‘disorder’.
It is unknown what is within this ‘range’ of ‘antisocial’ behaviours, let alone what would be anyone’s ‘normal’ reaction to living in an enforced residential ‘special needs’ school away from family and community.
But despite this, her school, High Close, run by Banardos had had enough of Amy despite being paid £200,000 tax free a year to educate and care for her.
The only place that remained on Amy’s sad slippery slope, was a £1000 a day Priory Hospital Room.
But what did Amy’s ‘special ‘ education do for its equivalent of 4 Eton places ?
And why, without learning disability diagnoses are Amy and ever more ‘troubled’ teenagers being excluded from ordinary schools and placed in such extortionately expensive residential care?.
High Close does not appear to have had any pupils attaining a single GCSE, and a parent comment the only I could find states,
‘poor School’
Mark Rating:
I have a child in this School and have come to the conclusion that the place offers a poor teaching environment and the unit staff lie and cover for each other when things go wrong.
As in my daughter’s National Autistic Residential School, ‘pupils only aim for and obtain P Scales ,teaching generally is not towards the National Curriculum.
As Amy appeared intelligent, might not boredom and inappropriate education have lead to her third label, which would be impossible to avoid if you were young lively and bored- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
A rare, some say non existent condition now extended into an epidemic see
ADHD The Disorder The Drugs The Inside Story. By Alan Schwarz.
Tourette’s, and Gender Identity Dysphoria– distress at the gender assigned at birth, recently made a DSM mental disorder, were also added to Amy’s list.
Yet despite all these ‘disorders’ Amy must have managed to be chirpy, as depression was not added.
Despite Amy, being so unhappy in school, she had drawn a picture of herself killing herself and had written underneath:
‘If only this could happen, but I haven’t got the guts.’
Exactly as George Werb had done, when he had been trapped by the Priory and his medication..
Why hadn’t her school tried to help such an unhappy child other than get CAMHS to label her and medicate for £200,000 a year ?
Amy nor her mother could systemically complain .
As a care order enforcing any chosen state school and medication would have been obtained.
As I found out such schools are only funded if parents agree to s 20 CA agreement with the LA.
So what was life like for this unhappy child in the Priory ?
Did she receive any kindness or understanding, in her troubled isolation, living alone with strangers ?
In less than three months of joining Amy had been subjected to at least six incidents of restraint, sometimes involving forced injections.
The first restraint happened just 48 hours after her admission; the last the day before her death, when she was held down by five staff members and orally sedated
Her inquest heard of several incidents, when she had been physically restrained by staff, sometimes for 15 minutes at a time.
The Priory had a high reliance on agency staff including some with no psychiatric experience.
Staff had insufficient time to even read patients’ paperwork or clinical notes let alone get to know them.
Amy was also being bullied and the Priory had failed to deal with this, or, even care enough to share details of the many times she had said she wanted to kill herself.
Staff admitted, they were under so much pressure, they had not always been able to give the teenager one-to-one time.
So much so, a Jury ruled staffing levels were inadequate, and a lack of one-to-one time caused, or contributed to Amy’s death in a ‘significant’ way
Even basic training for her Tourettes was not given, a member of senior staff had ‘put on training on Tourette’s, but nobody had attended’.
So Amy was alone, ignored, on medication, bullied, subject to continual excessive prolonged restraints and crying out continually for help, in the only way she could, by threatening her own life and was still ignored.
Her last cry for help killed her.
3 months after entering the Priory Amy yet again, told a member of staff she wanted to kill herself.
Only the evening before she had been restrained by 5 members of staff and sedated.
Remember she was just 14, a child.
Staff did not assess the risk of her being able to take her own life in her room; and opportunities were missed to help Amy in her room before her death, she was left alone, and this was held by a jury to have caused, or contributed ‘significantly’ to her death.
On the day she died, her risk rating was downgraded to medium.
And a delay in checking on her in the evening, contributed significantly to her death, at a time when she should have been under even closer scrutiny.
A care assistant eventually belatedly, checked on her in her room and found Amy unconscious, a football scarf tied around her neck.
The scarf had been seen in her room two weeks earlier, but not removed, as the hospital had no list of banned items.
A panic ensued, and staff delayed calling 999, and didn’t summon a doctor immediately .
They also had not been trained in resuscitation, though one care assistant had requested the training.
Amy was vomiting profusely.
When paramedics eventually arrived, an oxygen mask was two small to fit over her mouth, and the lift too small to take a stretcher, so she had to be placed on a body board.
The Jury found that but for all this, her life might have been saved.
Amy’s unhappy last years, culminated in an excruciating death, after 3 months of bullying , restraint, injections and torture .
And, the Priory will have claimed a £1000 for that day’s ‘care’.
Less than a year later George Webb was sectioned to the Priory, as were many more who are now dead.
Freedom of Information request show the Government has no idea how many young people killed themselves while being ‘treated’
Yet do know, a third suffer from a mental ‘disorder’ and want to help them.
And are willing to pay the Priory over £440million a year, £6800 a week ,to do so..
Yet Amy, was not mentally ill, she merely was deemed to have ‘conduct ‘disorders, that private mental services, a quarter of the NHS budge could make millions out of.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3621508/Priory-condemned-neglect-death-girl-14.html
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/04/child-deaths-priory-hospitals-cancel-nhs-contrac
Add 3 more adults and you have the restraint Amy suffered the night before she died.
For many many more deaths of teenagers from forced medication see http://antidepaware.co.uk/amy-aged-14/
finolamoss 
It’s sickening to see how useless and inadequate this place is. The entire system is broken.
And even more importantly, what was she doing there, when she and her Mum wanted her to be at home and she is not mentally ill.
The system has been created to be like this deliberately.
Those who do not conform, have problems are being labelled as mentally ill, and harvested for maximum profit from enforced education, medication and residential placement for life.
Isolated, abused and alone, with no escape.
There is no accountability for outcomes and service, and this is the only education treatment for life as a commodity statistic.
This is deliberate to use the vulnerable for profit.
As Brecht said ‘Eine Schwache under man is abserviert’……………
And successive governments have put the systems in place, so venture capital, mainly USA will profit from them, and we will pay for them.
Thanks for you comment it is much appreciated.
Best Wishes,
Finola
And that is what is happening to my son now
Sorry, forgot to mention, as you mention in respect to your son’s condition, and have seen from references in my blog, and from the books written by psychiatrists, and the letter signed by many to the Times two years ago to stop the use of antipsychotics because of their dangers, the drugs, as you say, actually have been shown to cause psychotic episodes, in those that were not psychotic, justifying their continued use at ever higher doses, allowing the Pharma Industry to create its own market and increase the need for its products.
To Pete.
Sorry for not replying.
And to hear your son is in such a hospital.
Have you managed to get your son out ?
I hope so.
Best Wishes,
Finola
Thank you for your interest Finola.
Unfortunately, owing to the effects of Risperdal my son has, for the last 7 years, been sectioned ‘without limit of time’. Although he is aware of the affect it is having on him, and he has repeatedly requested for it to be stopped, they continue to inject him with it. He has now become so fearful of it he is putting up resistance and is then held ‘supine’ while he is injected.
Its more than interest Peter, its horror, concern, and wish to reveal.
I assume your son is in residential care ? either indefinitely illegally under MHA, or deemed ‘incapable’ and in his best interests under MCA ?
Is it any wonder Pharma is now the third largest industry with such captive cash cows.
I’ve read in the company literature that took over Winterbourne’s Castlebeck, that they can now do intermuscular injection without restraint, there must be some sort of mechanical contraption being used.
But it is the restraint on the mind and body of the drug which is the horror, as it is permanent and horrific.
You and he must be worried sick about the effect on his body long term, and what can be the justification how has he been shown to be psychotic ? As it is only licenced and advised by NICE for that long term.
Not much of a 2017 for you or your son, as with the many and increasing numbers of those in similar positions.
Thank you for getting back and sorry I took a while replying.
Keep in touch and feel free to write as much as you want or feel you can, about your and your son’s beyond appalling predicament in the blog.
Thank you once again.
And Best Wishes.
Finola
I didn’t think it was legally possible to section indeterminably, as you say without limit.
As to be ‘treatment’ under the MHA, it has to be just that, and subject to yearly review and justification as to how it still qualifies as ‘treatment’.
In 2012 ECHR ruled the use pf Indeterminate PRISON sentences was unlawful.
However, the 2007 amendments to the MHA allowed the courts to sentence those with a mental health condition to be sectioned without limit of time. The ECHR ruling has not been applied the those sectioned.
If my son had appeared in court six months earlier, he would have had a prison sentence which would have expired by now, without being compelled to take medication.
I suspect the 2007 amendments, which were supposed to protect those with mental health conditions, was actually intended to circumvent the anticipatedf ECHR ruling. There is an annual review but does not involve a judge.
A judge will only be involved when a tribunal is held, and last year my son’s solicitor told him an appeal was unlikely to succeed,so no appeal was made. This is why he is looking for a new solicitor who is not so ‘cosy’ with the hospital
From: finolamoss To: pete.coleman@talk21.com Sent: Monday, 27 February 2017, 22:10 Subject: [New comment] Amy’s Story- Nearly a Million spent on education, and torture/ death in the Priory. #yiv7386935434 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv7386935434 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv7386935434 a.yiv7386935434primaryactionlink:link, #yiv7386935434 a.yiv7386935434primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv7386935434 a.yiv7386935434primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv7386935434 a.yiv7386935434primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv7386935434 WordPress.com finolamoss commented: “I didn’t think it was legally possible to section indeterminably, as you say without limit.As to be ‘treatment’ under the MHA, it has to be just that, and subject to yearly review and justification as to how it still qualifies as ‘treatment’.” | |
Thank you Peter for this important information which I and most will be unaware of.
So the position of a person ‘treated’ in a mental hospital is legally different if, as your son was, they are criminally prosecuted, I assume if not, this amendment to MHA does not apply ?
It is totally illogical and abusive, to treat one class of patients differently, purely because their behaviour has landed them in a criminal court, particularly, if that behaviour, as I assume with your son, was as a result of his mental condition. It is particularly dangerous and unfair for the autistic, and is not only in breach of ECHRs as you say, but also the Autism Act 2009.
And, on a logical basis, appears indefeasible as how can ‘treatment’ by definition be indeterminable ?
It will be difficult to find a truly independent solicitor, as the Legal Aid Commission have stated they will not fund a solicitor unless he in on the Mental Health Panel and only those chosen to have a contract with the commission are on it. Even Moors Murderer Brady’s solicitor is not now allowed to act for him in a Trbunnal after 20 years of representing him.
We also have the problem that if a patient is assessed ‘incapable’, which most/all can be under MCA, then the Tribunal are allowed to choose their representation. All in breach of Magna Carta and ECHR.
So there is no truly independent representation and enforcement of the law or ‘treatment’, as all treating professionals employed by the hospital which is being paid at least a £1000 per day for your son’s ‘treatment’
Together with the use of these indeterminable treatment orders, this is a licence for private profit to print public money for ever.
And the most terrifying civil liberties breach.
Habeas Corpus long shot as this would appear imprisonment without due process for ever but the amendment is lawful but still in breach of Magna Carta and not ‘treatment’.
Thank you for your comment. We need all the information we can get to find out what is happening in mental health.
Finola
An American legal website says:
If any of the following side effects occur while you are taking Risperdal, alternatively known as risperidone, consult a physician immediately:
Anxiety; aggressive behavior; blurry vision; difficulty concentrating or memory problems; difficulty speaking and swallowing; difficulty to move the eyes; increased urination; imbalance; muscle spasms of the face, neck, and back; weakness; shuffling walk; stiffness of arms and legs; twitching movements; shaking of the fingers and hands; sleeplessness
My son has some of these side effects. But when I told physicians they say my views conflict with the professionals, and increase the dose to make it worse. Then when things go wrong he has to suffer the consequenses.
In UK we have more enforced medication than anywhere else.
All those declared ‘incapable’ or suspected of being by technically anyone under the MCA, can be forced to take any medication for life, regardless of the desperate permanent suffering and side effects and even death.
The same is applicable for those under 18 via threat of care proceedings.
It must be remembered, that most of these people cannot communicate the side effects, and when they do, are, and can be ignored as our their loved ones, as you have found.
We are at the mercy of GPs and psychiatrists, who have been shown by these side effects, and outcomes,to do harm rather than none.
They are effectively employed by the monopoly care providers, so not independent and there is a huge conflict between their professional role as their employers benefit financially from sedation and use medication, and it is their main treatment and care, for the huge payments of public money they charge. They also benefit indirectly from the pharma industry.
There is no check, or control on the medication used, most is unlicensed for the particular ‘mental problem’ and cannot be deemed treatment only sedation at the cost of permanent phsical disablement and suffering.
Were we in USA, as has happened, those drug damaged, can sue via insurance Medicare, we cannot, nor can those doomed to an intolerable existence and often death for their ‘treatment’.
And with the government’s push to diagnose more mental health, this is set to worsen.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands are suffering , abuse and death are even ignored.
Can someone, not do anything other than have a cross party consensus in last years Mental Health Taskforce Recommendations, to treat even more with anti psychotics and mood enhancers ?
I visited my son today, and he is extremely frustrated, and very worried by what is happening to him. But now, after all this time, they want to say he has schizophrenia. That will justify more medication. There is no end in sight.
Peter
Dear Peter
Words are inadequate.
Who could not, or indeed would not, be schizophrenic, if they were encaged and drugged for profit.
As we saw with George Werb, he had ‘psychotic’ depression, to justify the drugs that at 15 made him walk in front of a train with such determination, having never seriously contemplated suicide.
And we, as a society made him and many many more .
Psychosis is on the increase, as is autism, because it ‘justifies’ strong and continuing for life medication.
But what is it ? And who can disagree with the diagnosis ? And what use is medication?
There is little psychosis in the third world, less in Europe, whilst here, as in the USA, we will soon have an epidemic, this is what the government mental health taskforce promises us, detection and encagement and enforced medication for life, as what easy money is made from this.
You , me and everyone, must fight for him , the many like him and the many more to come.
As the mental health industry takes hold it could be anyone.
Finola.
To Pete,
If you have given consent to your son’s detention under MHA withdrew it and they must release or review within I think 3 days.
If not, then tell his lead clinician that you and your son disagree with diagnosis as it is such a rare serious one and no inate symptoms of it before so why now and when did these symptoms start and why, and therefore you do not agree his medication and therefore it is not’ treatment’ under MHA.
And want your own psychiatrist /psychologist to assess him then find one to assess .
I’m not big in MHA law but will research the situation.
ALSO say YOUR son’s treatment a disproportionate interference in your right and your son’s to autonomy, privacy and family life under s8 HRA 98, and is oppressive inhumane, treatment and torture under Art 3 ECHR also under HRA.
I assume your son is under 18 if so then you make all decisions for him as well as his Mum so both do it together.
Best Wishes. Finola
Sleep problems are a known effect of Risperdal, as indicated on the American legal website. But research now shows that sleep problems can trigger schizophrenia, please see:
https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/mental-health/sleep-disturbances-may-trigger-schizophrenia/
But the ‘professionals’ won’t read that, they will treat the symptoms rather than the cause.
Not just sleep problems, but the use of antipsychotics particularly Risperidol
https://finolamoss.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/the-antipsychotic-scandal-effect-on-mind-and-body/
has been shown to actually cause psychosis and worsen psychotic episodes see above.
I also have heard from many care workers. how teenagers they care for have. as your son has, been diagnosed after years on antipsychotics which confirms these trials.
If you were in USA, you could claim on behalf of your son for the damage and remove him from this enforced medication under his Medicare insurance, but not under our NHS public system we are well stitched up.
Sleep is also important for the autistic and the epileptic, and as you say anti psychotics reduce this.
How can this be ‘treatment’, when it is making your son worse ? It is not, and therefore illegal, but as the state is doing it, how can you stop this illegality and breach of your son’s human rights ?
As this ‘treatment’ ‘care’ results in an ever more profitable commodity, in a treatment/care system with no accountability for its outcomes, that is geared to making profit, how can it get better ?
I am sorry to have to sound so harsh and impersonal when it is your son it is happening to, but the horror must be faced and admitted and changed.
That’s because dealing with the ’cause’, allows yet another drug to be ‘justified’, and this drug then has side effects, and these are dealt with by yet another drug, and all these drugs will lead to perks from pharma industry and probably government, as they are our third largest industry and boosting the stagnant economy at the expense of human lives and the deficit..
Yet none of this horror is ‘treatment’, and definitely not in the patients best interests and in breach of ‘do no harm’.
But this why, the government has no checks/control. on the amount/dosage of drugs used, and off label prescriptions allowed/ and or an unchallegable diagnosis, by a person employed by the for profit provider fits the drug needed.
And the trials on these drugs, are not of polypharmacy, so inter reaction of individual drugs on each other, let alone the patient, are unknown, so on what ethical or medical basis can they be enforced ?
As the state has total power under MHA MCA to enforce any medication , and acts as a cabal, what can be done except to try as I mentioned.
This is a huge humanitarian, and medical scandal, that needs sorting by government.
Meanwhile you and your son are in a living nightmare.
The hospital have now decided that my son has schizophrenia. The doctor’s report says:
‘It is well documented that people hit their own heads to try and drive out the voices’
So, because he is extremely frustrated about the situation he is in, and that he resorts to the only remaining means he has of venting his frustration, that is deemed proof my son has schizophrenia. The doctor goes on to say:
‘…. has been on anti-psychotic medication for so long that they are not now controlling the psychosis as rigorously as in the past’
The use of depot medication has now been ceased, and replaced with Clozapine. So now, as his behaviour improves, it will be deemed to be due to the effects of Clozapine, and not the effects of the risperdal that he was having injected. That he was not psychotic before starting medication doesn’t seem to matter.
So all the many autistic, seen routinely in helmets for their own protection, are now all on that ridiculous statement
‘It is well documented that people hit their own heads to try and drive out the voices’
schizophrenic ????
This is utterly wrong, they appear to be able to do and say what they want with impunity, even if it is a perfunctory nonsense , as they are not accountable.
Can you apply to the MHA Tribunal on this ?
What is your son being held under ?
You are right about the particularly long term effect of antipsychotics ,to use their term ‘it is well documented, with studies which can be pointed to and real evidence that Risperidol and other anti psychotics cause psychosis in those who did not have it before the medication, but people who bang their heads per se are not all psychotic.
This is a desperately dangerous statement, they have made, I continue to be shocked.
It is terrible discrimination against the autistic too, in breach of the Autism Act 2009 and Disability Discrimination Act, particularly as autistics have problems per se with communication without being heavily sedated.
You must be worried sick Let me know the legal status they are holding your son under NHA/MCA.
And thank you for letting us know .
Thinking of you both and wishing you weren’t in this beyond appalling nightmare.
Finola
Reblogged this on danutag57.
The latest report says my son ‘is doing well since commencing on Clozapine He engages with staff, and episodes of pacing the unit have reduced….and no incidents of aggression.’ Clearly they don’t attribute the improvement to the fact that Risperdal was stopped at the same time. Also, my son stated ‘that his previous comments about “hearing voices” were him trying to communicate “lost thoughts” rather than believing someone he could not see was talking to him.’ But still the Clozapine continues.
The latest report, under ‘moderate incident’, it says “he said he had been thinking a lot about killing himself recently”.
Meanwhile, HD has increased William’s clozapine dose, and will increase the dose again.
There is also mention of ‘some element of paranoia under the surface’ as if that wouldn’t be normal in William’s circumstances.
He has been thinking a lot about death since another patient tried to strangle him.
Was the ‘moderate incident’ related to this patient trying to strangle him ?
Why I ask is because the ‘paranoia’, which in view of the position your son is in, would be perfectly normal, might be to discredit the fact he said another patient tried to kill him.
In my experience of my daughters 48 bruise restraint. which they said was all self harm, the cause of her PTSD and even her impaction are denied and covered up.
The providers etc appear to say, and do what they like, as with the ‘incapable’ and indeed mental inpatients, there are huge amounts of money to be made, but no measure of outcomes or accountability.
Is there any complaints procedure within the institution and/or you could go to CQC, and also ask for one of their second opinion doctor to assess and change medication?.
This is such an horrific situation, I don’t know how you or your son stick it, or are forced to, but then you are given no option, such is mental health services.
And the autistic and learning disabled are not mental, these are behavioural disorders, unless made so by diagnosis and medication, which appears to be what is happening, as they are a very very lucrative market. Your son’s treatment will earn on average £900 a day without pharma costs. and much more on a secure ward.
please let me know what happens you must be worried sick, and what is being done about the physical toll all this medication is have on your son’s body to say nothing of the stress and what sort of an existence is being forced upon him?.
Finola
Reblogged this on | truthaholics and commented:
“The law was made for one thing alone, for the exploitation of those who don’t understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying it.”
| Bertolt Brecht