Mr and Mrs A said the Trust failed to give Mr A adequate support for his mental health, and also did not support Mrs A as his carer. As a result they said their health had been affected and they had suffered financially.
What happened
Mr A had a number of conditions that affected his mental health and stopped him from being able to work. He had been known to mental health services since 2005. Mrs A was his full time carer, although she found this incredibly challenging.
Mr A received psychological support for his mental health and in autumn 2013 he started to see a psychiatrist. His last therapy session was in summer 2014. However, Mrs A became concerned that the discharge from this service caused real deterioration in her husband's health, so much so that she described it as a 'crisis'. Some days after being discharged, a mental health social worker assessed Mr A again and referred him to another scheme for his mental health. He then attended various support groups.
In summer 2014, a mental health social worker assessed both Mr and Mrs A's needs. The social worker recorded that Mrs A was no longer able to provide the same level of care for her husband and plans were put in place for Mr A to get funding for some hours of support from another carer. The social worker recorded that she would monitor and review this. Mrs A also received a carer's assessment, and both have a continued relationship with the Trust and social services.
What we found
We did not uphold this complaint. We found that Mr A received appropriate psychological support and input over a two-year period. There was also evidence that sufficient out‑of‑hours and crisis support was provided. Mr A did become unwell after being discharged from therapy in summer 2014 but we found that his discharge was planned and appropriate.
Overall we were satisfied that Mrs A's needs as a carer were also appropriately assessed.
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Kent
Did not apologise properly or do enough to put things right