I was raped in the summer of 2018, by an acquaintance, at a friend’s home. My life was (prior to this) already falling apart, and I saw less and less reason to stay living. I was living in supported accommodation (mixed sex supported accommodation flats run by a charity whose policies had a big emphasis on “life skills” but offered little in terms of therapeutic support, plus they didn’t listen to my voiced concerns that energy companies were charging residents a premium through pre-paid card meters outside the properties) and got into debt. I tried to end my life one evening and was sectioned in my local hospital, and then moved to the local psychiatric hospital, I think it become a section 5.3. Once there I was appalled by the conditions – fights between patients and nurses and staff hiding themselves away in their office until the fights blew over; I witnessed a young woman die from medical negligence and when we (patients) tried to get her help, there was nobody on the ward (in terms of staff), and then when we phoned 999 they said they couldn’t send anyone because we were “already on a hospital ward”. Then my phone was taken from me after I phoned the police from the ward to report my rape, this was called ‘losing phone privileges’ I am a broken person now, lost my career and still have to go back to that hospital every couple of months, where I was sectioned, in order to renew my medication. The note taking at the hospital is so bad that I spend most of the appointment correcting the information they have from the previous session (they put me down as living miles away from where I live, etc, fairly basic yet vital stuff). I am so exhausted and so, so, so sad.
This is my story as a: Patient
NHS Trust (or Provider): Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust
Timespan: Over the last 5 years
Did you complain?: No
Did the Trust (or Provider) retaliate?: No
Would you recommend PALS as an impartial intermediary?: No
After investigation, did the Trust (or Provider) respond satisfactorily?: Prefer not to say or N/A
Did you take your complaint to the Ombudsman (PHSO)?: Prefer not to say or N/A
Your ethnicity: Mixed/Multiple Ethnicity
Have you experienced suicidality due to this?: Attempted suicide more than once
Are you autistic?: Suspected/Unsure
Are you disabled as defined under the Equality Act 2010?: Yes
