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

CHAPTER 1 - NARRATIVE OF KEY DATES AND EVENTS
132. Social Worker 5 visited Louisa Ovington at home on 19 May 2003, 1 July 2003
and 11 August 2003. Apart from a minor complaint on 1 July 2003 about suffering
from PMT for two weeks per month, which was “causing difficulty in her relationship
with her partner”, no problems were noted. However, on 31 July 2003 her GP had
written to her consultant at Louisa Ovington’s request (she was complaining of lack
of appetite) asking for an appointment as her last appointment had been cancelled
due to earlier non attendance. In fact she had failed to attend three outpatient
appointments.
133. It appears that by now Louisa Ovington was under the care of Staff Grade
Psychiatrist 1, who had been a locum psychiatrist but later became a permanent staff
grade psychiatrist, under the supervision of Consultant 13 and then Consultant 2. He
had care of Louisa Ovington until she was remanded after the death of Mr Hilton. She
saw Staff Grade Psychiatrist 1 from time to time. Staff Grade Psychiatrist 1 described
to the panel the complicated arrangements for psychiatric oversight in the area; he
confirmed that until his appointment in 2003 there had been a rapid turnover of
locums. He told the panel that he was supervised by Consultant 13, then Consultant
2; that he would have seen Louisa Ovington every two or three months; that he
remembered her; that she had a serious alcohol problem but that she was a pleasant
and intelligent girl. He did not feel she was mentally ill.
134. In October 2003 she told Social Worker 5 that she had been having relationship
problems due to excessive alcohol and later in the month she saw Staff Grade
Psychiatrist 1 and told him that she was depressed, anxious and drinking to excess.
When she asked him about coming off her antipsychotic medication he suggested
that she talk to the GP about it.
135. Staff Grade Psychiatrist 1 referred Louisa Ovington to the drug and alcohol
service. She attended one appointment in December 2003 and another in January
2004 but others were cancelled by her or she did not attend and she was discharged.
(CAS 2 from the service told the panel that the service would not have been given
much information about her; that their input would have been limited to drug and
alcohol issues rather than exploring deeper issues; that they would not have had
contact with other agencies and that they would normally have a policy of taking
what clients told them about drug or alcohol use at face value.) It seems that the GP
was concerned about the discharge and asked them to reconsider this in May 2004.
136. On 3 November 2003 Louisa Ovington phoned Social Worker 5 and confessed
that she had in fact been drinking to excess and that there were huge problems in her
relationship with Mr Hilton.
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