RISK ASSESSMENTS - THE KEY TO A PATIENTS TREATMENT

From a survey of complaints received by the K&C MH Carers Association.
Risk Assessments (AOR1 and AOR2) often contain subjectively written assumptions and misunderstandings and exaggerate the "danger" of particularly African Caribbean & BME patients. A history of forensic assessments is often created even without orders from the criminal justice system, thus prejudicing the patient for life and impacting on referrals to more secure wards and hospitals, loss of liberty, long hospital confinement, denial of mainstream rehabilitation programmes including talking therapies, misdiagnosis, higher dosage of medication, fierceness of restraint, limited or compulsive choice of accommodation in the community and lack of prospects of employment. Psychiatrist tend to protect their sole responsibility by "erring on the side of caution", - which is an 'error' nevertheless and against the interest of the patient.
Because of the absence of "Strength Assessments" (cultural, creative, spiritual, religious,academic, occupational,capability, belief & value system etc.) the perception of the person is biased and out of proportion measures are taken.- A human rights issue.
Carers and family concerns are logged in the medical notes of the patient and equally assessed as a risk.
All carers feel very strongly that carers concerns for confidentiality reasons should be kept on a separate file and not be part of a patient's medical notes.
A patient can obtain his risk assessments and medical notes under the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act from the hospital manager, but nevertheless often 'sensitive' information is witheld at the discretion of the psychiatrist.