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Can’t believe it’s 20 days since the last post. What a week!

Monday – meeting with police about Southern Health: no more to say for legal reasons.

Tuesday – Southern Health ‘Bored’ Meeting: anger and frustration from those in the public seats about the continued presence on the Board of the Teflon Twins and others. A patients’ group asked Gurnek Baines, Chairman of YSC (the firm assisting Mr Smart reviewing the fitness of the Board) to meet them before the announcement (scheduled for Friday) – but he was off on holiday that night. Great!

Wednesday – persuaded three MPs and a DoH official to suggest that your scribe join the party of bereaved families due to meet Mr Smart and the Minister on Friday. Day ended with very kind email from a third party calling us truly honourable for helping a patient.

Manic Thursday – woke up to a very kind email, describing your scribe as:

“A brilliant advocate for the family you represented. Thank you for all you do for patients and staff.”

Yet we are considered, ‘the enemy‘ by Southern Health directors!

Followed by a “no” from the Minister’s office – and then a tip-off that Friday’s meeting had been brought forward to “today” in a Winchester Hotel: it gave us a choice of two and we made it – with camera in hand.

Rt. Hon. Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State for Community and Social Care, and Michael Buchanan, BBC.©

Richard West (family member) and David Fenton (with soundman) BBC South.©

Maureen Rickman (family member) and Michael Carr, Hampshire Chronicle.©

Morning ended being filmed by the BBC shaking hands with Mr Burt on a face-to-face meeting this month: later confirmed by his Diary Secretary.

Thursday – finalising arrangements for a seriously unwell Southern Health patient to have an urgent private mental health assessment at The Priory: this had triggered the two kindly emails received in the previous two days.

Friday – a blur of email, phone calls and letters – all about Southern Health and the vulnerable patient!

Altogether a good, if hectic, week with a very positive outcome.

Observation – if Southern Health officials thanked carers and families so whole-heartedly as the two persons mentioned above, what a wonderful Trust it could be.

And finally  – unlike the Minister who faced up to the cameras and reporters, Mr Smart barely stopped (just to thank journalists for attending) before speeding away and giving us a fleeting glance of his Registration Number Plate, which includes:

Yes, I know! We don’t think that anyone got a picture. CRASH is being nice to Mr Smart until further notice – for legal reasons.

© CRASH – images available free of charge for non-commercial use to be accredited to CRASH. Reasonable charges apply for commercial use, all for the sole benefit of the CRASH campaign.

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