MDT Meeting result
Good luck rageineden. Let us all know how the meeting goes please.
Well as expected we were refused continuing care at yesterdays meeting. We knew going in it was already predetermined so i guess we were not that surprised. We scored 4 high 4 moderate 3 low (they downgraded our 2 severe unsurprisingly).
Amazing to see people who really dont know our relative and have only met him a few times in a hospital setting,telling us how he would cope at home. It felt as if none of them wanted to give a severe/high score as it might affect them later.
Despite that score and all the evidence we provided that they had not bothered to get themselves, plus consultants letter/GP letter and Social worker all confirming our case we still lost.
They also admitted that the 'quality' of record keeping at the hospital had not been right ie: falsified as we had raised all along.But they still used this anyway!
Interestingly you might remember the not taking notes saga. We turned up to find a lead commissioner from the CCG was there to ensure procedures were followed correctly. When we asked was this normal we were told because we had complained so much up front about the flawed/illegal process, they felt he should be present, but not appropriate for us to have a note taker!
He also said he would adjudicate any appeals. When we questioned this saying how could he conduct an independant appeal having been at the meeting, we were told we could not delay the meeting any further.
We were aksed to leave the meeting while they deliberated and told we would be called back in once the decision had been made. Instead the coordinator called us saying everyone had gone and that we were not successful.
When we asked what happens next she said it goes to panel on 30th December but it will not be overturned.
She then told us our relative is fit for discharge and to arrange this with the hospital. When we said what is happening with the care package for him we were told speak to the social worker directly. Unfortunately the social worker had done a runner so he did not have to face us.
We have not been given any other detail from the coordinator so we have no idea how they came to the decision.
We later spoke to the social worker who told us he did not know what would happen next. He said the meeting recommendation is for a care home placement, despite considerable evidence that our relative deteriorates to such a level that twice in two weeks he was admitted to hospital from a care home due to severe dehydration, and that this had happened every time he goes into a institutionalised environment.
So we are now left in limbo over Xmas as the social worker now has to go to another council panel asking for a night sitter (which is all we wanted in the first place).
Anyway we went back to the meeting room and bumped into the coordinator/lead commissioner and amazingly she again confirmed the CCG policy which flies in the face of the national framework.
If you win continuing care in MODERATOR NOTE: name removed under NO circumstances will you be offered care at home! You will only be offered a care home place. This policy is we were told unpublished and not available for the public to look at!
We are going to take this further and will not give in to illegal practices.
Dont know if i can find any technical/procedural flaws i can throw at them prior to the 30 December panel?
I have to say to anyone going through this you will need to be very very strong to get through it all, at every stage the CCG/NHS/Local Authority will lie to you, will act illegally, will break all procedures and will attempt to exclude you from as much of the process as possible. It is incredibly stressfull and takes over your life, but you and your relative do have rights!
Onwards and upwards!
