A Ramsgate mum-of-four is calling for an investigation into the children and young people’s mental health services at Orchard House in Broadstairs prompted by concerns over the care of her now 18-year-old daughter and fears that vulnerable youngsters are ‘being let down.’
Patricia Casagrande, 38, says her daughter Daisy has had numerous issues with being unable to get her regular medication, sometimes being refused medication renewal, not being prescribed a higher dose despite being told this would happen, not receiving 6-monthly reviews, given prescriptions for an unobtainable medication due to a national shortage and then, when reaching 18 last August, not getting a referral to adult services until March this year.
Patricia says Daisy was then discharged without medication, taking the family extended efforts to gain a 6-month supply.
She has now submitted formal complaints with the PALS service for the North East London Foundation Trust – which previously ran the service until it was taken over by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust in April this year– the Care Quality Commission and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. She has also contacted East Thanet MP Polly Billington.
She said: “Daisy has ADHD, ADD and Autism traits. She has been with Orchard House since she was 11.
“She was promised they would up her medication but they didn’t, I tried to put in for a review of her medication but that never happened.
“When covid hit it was worse, they were refusing repeat medication because she needed a review but they weren’t doing the reviews.
“Then they refused repeat medication saying we had missed an appointment but we hadn’t.
“They gave us a prescription for a medication that there was a national shortage of so we went everywhere, even Herne Bay, but couldn’t get it.
“When Daisy hit 18 they should have referred her to adult services but didn’t. They said they did but I spoke to adult services and they assured me there was no referral. In fact, there was no referral until March this year.
“Eventually Orchard House discharged her but I had to fight to get six months of medication with the new ADHD nurse saying she didn’t know she had to do that.
“The manager would refuse to speak to me or they would say he was in a meeting all the time. It wasn’t until I said I would go public with my concerns that they had a meeting and Daisy got her medication.
“They should have had a duty of care towards my child, and lots of other children who are being failed. Lots of other people have come forward (since speaking out on social media) to say they have had the same type of experience and it needs to be investigated, why are so many children being let down by these services?
“I’m not looking to get Orchard House closed down, I’m just trying to get them to provide better services and to do that they need to investigate the issues where vulnerable children and young people are being let down.”
In desperation, Patricia took it upon herself to find appropriate care for Daisy, who is now registered with private provider Psicon.
She said: “They have taken her on and they are amazing. We are really happy with them.”
Unfortunately, Patricia says she is going to have to navigate Orchard House yet again with her youngest daughter, aged 10, who has also been diagnosed as ADHD and autism.
Patricia said: “I was told that she would be lucky to be seen by the time she was in secondary school.”
However, the service is now under the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust which took over on April 1.
Patricia says her older daughter, aged 20, was also previously under Orchard House and has never received an adult services referral through them.
‘Confidential health information’
A NELFT spokesperson ( in consultation with Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust) said: “We cannot confirm or deny whether any person is or has been under our care, as doing so would disclose confidential health information and breach UK data protection law and our duty of confidentiality.
“If concerns are raised with our services, they are reviewed carefully and we respond directly to patients and families through the appropriate channels.”
Having worked within the field I’m not sure that advertising familial problems within a newspaper is the most safeguarding approach that any parent might choose. I’m certainly not convinced that the Court of Protection would see it in a positive light.
That’s exactly the problem right there Harry, it’s comments like this, which although helpful thank nthe cause but true are too often used to fully disabled any action by well meaning parents than as caution to tread carefully in a difficult legal position. The truth becomes Ng that quite often servixes are lacking and I believe this is felt as much by doctors and professionals as it is by the carers.
I’m just happy that they have received the right medication in the end even if they had to go private.
I haveyself lent money to persons in similar positions to go and seek private care because very often complex issues are difficult difficult to deal with under systemic care that is budget driven and doesn’t have the resource of private healthcare.
I would however suggest that your comment is taken by the mum as an advice counsellor moment should she be taking legal action rather than a reprimand, I’m assuming you are trying to support a family who quite clearly are experiencing or have experienced hardship with those conditions when the medication stops.
It is very sad that things fall through nets but the national services are strangled and there are big holes in those nets to fall through too.
Always good to keep things quiet and sweep them under the carpet? Brave mother to keep supporting her children and to raise these issues publicly.
I also have had a terrible experience at Orchard House many years ago, unfortunately it appears not much has changed. Several members of staff making very drastic mistakes or inappropriate behaviour and comments, but nothing comes of submitting formal complaints apparently, regardless of severity. Young people deserve better and psychiatrists that dole out (or won’t dole out..) medication with no care for patients are very overpaid in my opinion. I feel for the young people in this system that don’t have the money for private care and sit on waiting lists for months on end.
It’s years, not months of waiting! We’ve been crying out for help for 4 years for our son who is very disturbed and anxious- and still nothing has been done, despite him being under their care all that time. I believe they just “hold” children in the system until they’re old enough to be treated properly by adult services when they near 18. Children’s services are chronically underfunded – it’s not that the budget is being mismanaged by Orchard House, or that they don’t care. I believe the staff there would love to provide the kind of treatment the kids need. It’s a national issue as the same problem is seen in pretty much every children’s mental health team in England.
I think it’s shameful that someone would resort to contacting news outlets abiut trivial shortcomings that are usually resolved if complainants had a little more patience! I’m sure Orchard House is doing the best job it can given the funding and staffing levels available to them.
She comes across as entitled and misguided if she believes change can be brought about this way. Maybe a legal awakening will teach her a good life lesson?
But, we hear the same old story throughout the country; kids having kids and then dumping them on the State when the responsibilities of raising a child become profound and the time required to look after them impinges on their social media addiction.