What Happened With Fingers!

I haven't blogged about what happened with Fingers which led to me making a formal complaint. I know I was in the wrong also but his actions were out of order and I feel as though I was provoked. In fact it has been put in my community care plan that I was provoked.

I was put in a room where the heating was not working properly so at night I was cold every night. It was during that really cold spell in November and I was absolutely freezing. Part of my care plan was that they only gave me one blanket. This blanket was really thin. Anyone who knows what it’s like in hospital can describe it as a seclusion blanket. Like a horse blanket but thinner. Anyway, the night before it all kicked off I asked the nurse in charge if I could have an extra one as I was so cold and on the care plan it did state at nurses discretion. He gave me an extra but still had a bad night’s sleep.

The next night Fingers was on. I got into bed and I was already upset because I had not had a good day as I was tired from the night before. I was in bed and in stormed one of the HCA’s and just dragged the blanket off me saying that I wasn’t allowed it and I had manipulated the staff the night before by asking and getting another one. This pissed me off. What pissed me off even more was Fingers then went on to open my bedroom door wide open (opening outwards) and was stood there holding it saying I couldn’t have it closed. I was pissed off as I was usually allowed to have it closed. I tried to close the door and Fingers was holding on to it. I tried to remove his hands from the door but he then proceeded to push me over and came in to the room. This made me boil and I wanted him away from me. He started saying all these derogatory things at me which was just making me angry at him even more. I was trying to push him out the room as he was really upsetting me by what he was saying. I wasn’t being violent just wanted him out. There were 2 other members of staff and none of my anger was aimed at them just him as of the things he was saying and his presence. I was shouting at him to get out my room but I just kept being pushed back. So I did push him back with a bit more oomph and I ended up with having Fingers on one arm and another HCA on the other arm. While he had hold of me he started having a go again and I managed to get free again. At this point he had made me irate. I was seeing red. He had hurt me both physically and emotionally so I kicked him in the balls. Then he lost it. He started screaming and shouting at me saying how I was PD it didn’t matter that the doctors had said otherwise but he knew me and all I was, was PD and that nothing would ever change and I was going to be like it for the rest of my life. He was holding on to my arm really tight going “you don’t like that do you? Do you”? Really shouting at me.

Personally, in my professional opinion he should have been removed from the situation as he was making me worse. When I did my training for restraint we had a scenario where the member of staff was like he was and we were advised to get that member of staff out of the room even if it meant restraining that staff member just to get them out the room.

Finally he did leave my room but wouldn’t close the door so I went in the bathroom. Next thing I know he comes storming back in with another member of staff and they just pick me up and drag me outside my bedroom and lock it off. Come 12am I thought that I would be allowed back in but he just ignored me. He pulls the big bean bag in to the communal area and goes to sleep on it and snores really loudly. They had not given any provisions for me to sleep on or cover myself with. I did use my imagination though and lined a few chairs up against the wall and tried to sleep on these. But, because Fingers was snoring so loudly it was near on impossible to get any sleep.

How unprofessional was the whole event? I know I shouldn’t have kicked him but he really was provoking me saying such derogatory things to me and shouting at me. It left me with bruises all down my left arm.

I told my mum what had happened and we compiled a formal complaint that went in against him. When it went in he was suspended straight away. I felt really bad as it was just before Christmas. The impression I have been given though is that there are other complaints made against him.

This is not the only issue I had with him. I found him to be an arrogant twat with no sense of compassion. I felt he was in the job just for the power. I know this sounds stupid but he never sat down with patients. The ward was tiny and centred round one table but he would always be standing on the outskirts, it was as if he felt that he didn’t want to be on the same level as us lot with mental illnesses.

The treatment he gave other patients he used was also despicable. He would punish patients even after they had been dealt with on earlier shifts. He would push people around. I really just couldn’t stand the guy. My Mum had her own complaints about him also.

So I got moved to the different PICU and had someone come visit me in the New Year about the complaint and I had to answer a load of questions about him and the way in which he worked. They said that they were going to interview as many staff in the unit as possible and then Fingers. Then I had another couple from the safeguarding team come and ask more questions. They had already spoken to them and surprise surprise he had given a different version of events. I said to my Mum that that was going to happen. I don’t think it will go anywhere as I feel people will back him and they all seem to aspire to him and on power trips. They are a really cliquey team so I think they will back him up. But, I suppose one thing is if this is on record and other complaints come in in the future that they will have to consider previous complaints.

I feel I was provoked. I am not a violent person at all. My community care plan states that although there was an incident where I assaulted a member of staff I was provoked so it’s good to know that they see it that way also. And, it shows that I have been listened to. Although I was provoked, I still feel what I did was wrong. I spoke to a member of staff about it here and he said not to worry as most people in my position would have done what I did as he went too far. He said if it had been him he’d have probably head butted him or done a lot worse.

So that’s the deal with Fingers and what happened. I will update more on this when I know the outcomes of the investigations but being as though I already know he has a different version of events so can't see anything happening.