Save Carla's Life
Carla's case
Carla is 23 year old women with very severe ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).
Originally, Ashford and St. Peter’s hospital diagnosed Carla with ME.
University College Hospital London (UCHL) placed her under its ME/CFS clinic for adolescents. This includes in-patient services. She began deteriorating further, with the amount of time she spent as an in-patient increasing
Originally, Ashford and St. Peter’s hospital diagnosed Carla with ME.
University College Hospital London (UCHL) placed her under its ME/CFS clinic for adolescents. This includes in-patient services. She began deteriorating further, with the amount of time she spent as an in-patient increasing.
NICE guidelines on severe ME not being followed
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sets out guidelines for treatment of patients with ME.
West Middlesex Hospital has generally been following NICE guidelines on ME for around four months, now. At first, it did repeatedly breach them – for example, pulling back the curtains in an attempt to ‘get her used to the light’.
The Doctor in charge of Carla’s care after he tried to change her ME diagnosis when she first went into West Middlesex. He was the one who repeatedly tried to expose Carla to light. She is very sensitive to light and this would worsen her condition.
​
One nurse, who I won’t name but have looked up, persistently speaks in a raised voice when she’s around Carla despite her sensitively to sound and has been nothing short of a bully to both her and Carla’s mother.
Deterioration due to the neglect
She has now been in West Middlesex Hospital for seven months. Late on Thursday 17 October, an external psychiatrist and a nurse assessed Carla and deemed she met the criteria to be sectioned; in effect weaponising the Mental Health Act.
Doctors have now convinced themselves that her severe gastrointestinal pain is partly psychosomatic. The psychiatrist who did her Section 2 assessment told Carla’s father that:
the physical is always related to the mental
Or words to that effect. West Middlesex Hospital is now saying that her GI pain, along with her seizures, are psychosomatic. She is still unable to take adequate nutrition, therefore her ‘made up’ GI pain is posing a risk to herself – ergo she needs to be sectioned.
Similarities to other hospitalised serve ME cases
The NHS has a history of bad treatment of ME patients. The death of Maeve Boothby O'Neail in 2021 in similar circumstances.
How can you help?
Share story and raise awareness.
make a complaint to PALS about Clara's treatment.
chelwest.wmpals@nhs.net