Lousia Ovington independent investigation report ... - NHS North East

CHAPTER 1 - NARRATIVE OF KEY DATES AND EVENTS
• Social Worker 2 was Louisa Ovington’s community social worker and was liaising
with Social Worker 3, the Kneesworth social worker. Social Worker 2 is recorded
as speaking to Kneesworth on 6 January to try to organise a CPA/Section 117 41
meeting. Because of the imminence of the expiry of the Section 38 it was
not possible to organise this before the 12 January and it was finally scheduled
for 24 January, ten days after her discharge.
• Team Manager 1 from Easington Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)
recorded his concern that good practice had not been adhered to: Section 117
Mental Health Act requires a discharge meeting between the host authority
and the local services to “hand over care” and the Code of Practice states that
a joint meeting needs to be held (before discharge) so as to arrive at a suitable
discharge package. Before the decision is taken to discharge a patient or
grant leave it is the responsibility of the Responsible Medical Officer (RMO) to
ensure a consultation with all other professionals, to discuss the patient’s needs
and that the care plan addresses them. 42
• To complicate matters Probation Officer 1 commented to Team Manager 1
that he did not think a probation order was appropriate simply to ensure
treatment and although the later discharge report prepared on 31 January
2000 (19 days after discharge) by Associate Specialist 1 emphasised the necessity
of a probation order having a condition of psychiatric treatment, it appeared that
since there was no apparent diagnosis of mental illness, the probation service did
not regard it as appropriate.
97. Consultant 11 when she spoke to the panel agreed that the discharge had been
hasty and there did not appear to have been much in the way of planning.
98. On 24 January 2000 the delayed Section 117/CPA meeting took place in Durham.
It was attended by representatives from Kneesworth House and local services.
There was no consultant psychiatrist present although Associate Specialist 1 was in
attendance. At this meeting it was stated that Louisa Ovington did not suffer from a
mental illness and although she may have some personality difficulties did not meet
the criteria for a personality disorder. It was agreed that:
• Louisa Ovington would live with her cousin and the cousin’s partner Mr Hilton;
• Consultant 12 would become Louisa Ovington’s consultant psychiatrist;
• Her social worker and key worker would be Social Worker 2;
41 See Chapter 8
42 and see, further, Chapter 8
35