Valerie Baker
I have been a user of psychiatric services for many years and a service user consultant for around 16 years. I am also a peer advocate.
My Grandfather died following a gross misdiagnosis. How could a stroke be mistaken for flu? In 1964 I almost lost my Mother during childbirth when a difficult birth due to placenta praevia led to severe haemorrhage and, as she had had difficult pregnancies, I am sure she had every right to expect more supervision in hospital instead of giving birth at home. My Brother died two weeks after birth.
I am presently concerned about the poor levels of hygiene in our hospitals and the potentially life-threatening or severely disabling side affects of psychiatric medication.
Quite recently, two relatives who had been hospitalised for chemo-therapy were placed in wards alongside patients with infectious conditions which proved potentially fatal and may have hastened the deaths to these immuno-suppressed individuals much to the distress of their families.