Complaint about Derry patient's missing belongings escalated to Trust chief executive

The family of a young autistic Derry man feel they have been left with no option but to escalate a complaint to the chief executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT).

The complaint centres around the personal belongings of Fiachra Kearney (24) which went missing when he was an in-patient at Grangewood, an acute mental health unit in Derry’s Gransha Park.

Adults with learning difficulties failed by mental health provision

Derry mum highlights her family's 'continuous negative experience'

Fiachra has a learning disability and a co-occuring mental disorder, was admitted to Grangewood on April 6, last year. He remained there until April 19.

Speaking to Derry News at the time, Fiachra’s mother, Cathy Nelis, highlighted what she described as her family’s “continuous negative experience” with WHSCT’s learning disability services. She believed strongly “adults with learning difficulties were being failed by mental health provision” in the area.

Cathy revealed, while Fiachra was a patient in Grangewood “no new clinical diagnosis of his condition was carried out”.

He also returned home without 90% of his personal belongings.

According to Cathy, Fiachra, as an autistic adult, was attached to certain personal belongings.

She explained: “Some of this has to do with his name being printed on rugby tops, which he selected, but also items of clothing purchased because of sensory material relevance, which is at variance with ‘Basic Autism Awareness / Knowledge friendly approaches / practise’.

“This has exposed a system failure within Grangewood, another one. I suspect it has happened before and since.

“It reflects a professional ineptitude and disregard at senior management level.”

A year later, with still no explanation for their disappearance provided to Fiachra or his family, his father, Declan - a Sinn Féin MLA - has “been left with no option” but to contact Neil Guckian, WHSCT chief executive directly, about the issue.

Mr Kearney first contacted the Trust about his son’s missing clothes and property at the beginning of May last year.

He subsequently received a response informing him the matter would be followed up by the assistant director.

Mr Kearney said he had “never heard from this assistant director.

He added: “On June 2, I wrote to WHSCT recording that I had heard nothing from the assistant director and in a reply (June 7)  I was advised that the matter was being addressed.

“I received an email on July 5 and in a later phone conversation, the same person reassured me that the appropriate investigation processes would be implemented and that this situation would be treated seriously.

“On July 6 we agreed that the basis of the complaint being lodged about the missing property was two fold: 1) The original failure to return the missing property and complete lack of accountability displayed by Grangewood staff: 2) The failure of the Western Trust to satisfactorily follow up and address this matter once it was reported to senior management. This, and the original letter of 3 May was registered as Complaint ID10070.

“On September 29, I received an anonymised pro forma correspondence by post; which appeared to have been drafted during the Covid 19 pandemic, and is still in use. It provided no update or progress on the process to recover Fiachra's property. I have heard nothing since.

“Now I have received the latest of these pro forma communications, dated 12 March 2024.”

Fiachra’s father added that no-one from within the WHSCT’s management system had provided the family with any explanation or update, other than to repeatedly acknowledge delays.

He added: “The indifference displayed, and lack of accountability, which has unfolded is appalling, inexcusable and absolutely unacceptable.

“In the absence of any intervention to resolve this situation appropriately by any senior Trust managers, I asked Neil Guckian directly in a letter of March 24, whether it is now more advisable for me to pursue other options to secure redress, and obtain both effective accountability and resolution on this particular matter. I am awaiting his response.”

In a statement to Derry News, a Western Health and Social Care Trust spokesperson said: “We apologise to the family for the delay in responding to this complaint.

“We are unable to provide further comment due to patient / client confidentiality.”