“35 year old female hanging out of window, police on scene”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
Weird, right?! This is what we heard being shouted as we approached the building we called to. There was a couple of coppers standing on the pavement looking upwards and as we rounded the building's porch we could see why! With her head and torso protruding the from the window our patient was shouting over and over again:
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
This alone made it a bizarre job, now add her throwing all of her possessions out of the window at random intervals. The pile of things on the floor was large and varied and ever growing. Every attempt to talk to her was greeted with the same response.
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
According to the police she had barricaded the door and they were now waiting for an enforced with the universal big red key. There was also a worry that whilst trying to kick the door in she would jump out of the window. This would not be ideal. We were already going to be late off, a trauma job would be most unwelcome!
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
It was relentless, as was the constant stream of belongings. Clothes, furniture, paintings, photos, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, the list was endless. Then, a cage came into view.
“That’s not got a bird in it has it?!” Said one of the coppers.
“Erm…..”
Before I could answer, the cage, complete with Budgie came flying out with a crash and a squawk.
“I think it has!”
The cage was retrieved and the bird seemed none the worse for it. I think it was the furthest it had ever flown!
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
One thing was for sure, the Budgie will not be coming back up! The pile below the window was gradually rising. The bedding was next, pillow after pillow, duvet after duvet, sheet after sheet. Then came the hamster cage! A cloud of saw dust filled the air. It was certainly a rude awakening for the poor little thing inside but again, didn’t seem injured! Laundry baskets followed, then CD after CD, one at a time.
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
As time went by, her voice was becoming more and more frantic. There was a white foam clearly visible in the corner of her mouth from talking for so long without a break. She looked possessed! As amusing and bizarre the whole situation was, at the end of the day this was a person having a very public, mental health breakdown. She wasn’t known to police, her neighbours said she was perfectly normal and a phone call to the local mental health unit didn’t reap any information. Shortly after the lava lamp came flying out of the window the enforcer arrived. Before they tried the door, we had a discussion about what to do. Section 136 was useless as she was at home, section 135 was useless as there was no magistrate order so all we were left with was us deeming her not to have capacity and take her to a place of safety. Ideally, that place of safety would have been the mental health unit but as per usual, they refused to accept until she had been to A & E. *rolls eyes* The problem with A & E is their powers to hold her are limited as they claim not to have the security and staff to restrain her. The police will only stay a short while because she would not be under section and it isn’t then a police matter. Anyway, we decided all those bridges could be crossed on arrived. For now, the door………
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it com………”
She vanished from the window. The screams and shouting meant they were in! A few moments later, she appeared in handcuffs. She was restrained due to her violence on entry, and her determination to get away meant the back of the police van was the safest option.
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
And so it continued. I sat in the police van on route to hospital just listening to it over and over again.
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
As the doors opened at A & E, it continued. All the way down the corridor, all the way through to majors where we waited to hand over. The noise she was making meant it didn’t take long for us to be seen.
“Is she under section?”
“No”
The nurse rolled her eyes.
“Well we can’t hold her, are the police staying?”
The copper came over, “We can stay for a little while but will have to leave when the skipper calls.”
“She should be under section”
“She was in her own home. We are only here in the capacity to assist the ambulance.”
Nurses think every mental health patient should be under section, they know what powers police do and don’t have, yet they expect the police to be involved time and time again when in actual fact, it’s a health care issue, not a criminal one.
“Well when you leave, if she decides to walk out we won’t be able to stop her and we will be calling you back”
“If that’s what you have to do then that’s what you have to do”
We took the patient into the quiet room and left her there with the two coppers. As we walked off down the corridor all we could hear was:
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it’s yours”
Well, that was another day, another dollar and only two hours late off. I know it’s said a lot by ambulance staff but every day really is different. As for mental health, I really have no answers! I was happy that we got her to a place of safety but was it a suitable place of safety?! I just don't understand why no part of the health service will take responsibility for mental health. The mental health unit won't accept her, the A & E will make no real attempt to keep her in despite the powers the Doctors have to section. Everyone would much rather let her leave so it becomes a police problem. What do the police do with a mental health patient in need of help? Call an ambulance! What do we do?! Take them to A & E. This woman is ill and needs help. She is not a criminal. It is NOT a police issue and the NHS as a whole should stop relying on the police so heavily to help with mental health. The services, the staff, and the facilities are there. USE THEM!