Mental health records and being a student

[dotcotton]

(EDIT because I forgot to say hello!) Hello everyone. I hope your Wednesday is going great so far

I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I started my training last year but before the end of my first year, Occy Health 'took back' their previous clearance of me and I subsequently get chucked off the course.

The reason I wasn't cleared (or rather I was, then they changed their minds) was because I have a hx of self harm when I was a teenager. The thinking being, in a nutshell, that Beverley Allitt had a hx of self harm so therefore all (past) self harmers are potential threats. I understand that the NHS has learned 'to think the unthinkable' as stated in the Clothier Report following the Allitt investigation and that all risks need to be prevented. But I was more than a bit miffed at being loosely compared to Allitt.

I haven't been able to find any advice in what I can do to 'fix' the situation. I have an interview coming up for another nursing diploma (on the bright side, at least I have covered a lot of the work before!) and I have informed admissions that I will problems with Occy Health but as this is not their area and all health records are confidential anyway, they cannot help me much.

I have googled a thousand times for the legal position, for the NMC's positions etc etc on where those people with mental health histories stand but to no avail. There seems to be no clear cut ineligibility rules so I can't find out if I should forget nursing forever or keep trying.

I apologise for the long winded post whilst I meander around the point lol. Really, does anyone know of where I could go for advice, or does anyone have any experience of this? I have thought about maybe using the Disability Discrimination Act somehow but I don't know how!

Thanks for reading.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Hi,

Welcome to allnurses. I am sorry I really dont know much anything about Occy health and their policies. Can I ask did you openly declare that you had had this problem in the past? or did they find out about it from your medical records?

I am sorry that you have been declared unfit to nurse because of Beverly Allit-I am sure that is very frustrating.

[dotcotton]

Hi

Thanks for replying. Yes, I declared it when I started but they didn't seem too concerned initially -more concerned with me having asthma if anything. But apparently a nurse who took my bloods mentioned my scars to someone and it went on from there. The first I knew of any problem was a phonecall towards the end of module 2.

I don't mind so much about the Allitt thing. I understand that people don't always have the best understanding of mental health issues and even more than that, I realise that they have to be careful to prevent things like that from happening. I just wish I didn't have to prove the fact I'm obviously in no way shape or form a danger to anyone. Or a way to prove it would be good......

If I'm successful in the interview next week, I'll get on to Occy Health and give them a heads up. Nursing is all I have ever wanted to do so I'm going to give it another try.

[chapmajc]

Hi Dotcotton

Sorry to hear of your occi health problem. I had a similar problem when I started uni. I had been prescribed anti-depressents once by my GP a few years ago to ??stop me being anxious about medical problems I have that were (and still are) poorly managed.

I told occi health and it went against me. I never took the medication and have kept the box for proof, but it did not make any difference. Thankfully our occi health changed hands and I was lost in the system and no-one has ever got beck to me.

I would quote the disability discrimination act if I were you. Go to your student union they will be able to advise you where to put your complaint. At the end of the day what do you have to loose. Young people go through a lot of changes when growing up and this should not be counted against you if you have recovered from any mental health problems. I am at uni with some-one who had a complete breakdown at 18, she is fine now and doing a degree.

I know the NHS needs to be safe but it can be OTT with things like this. Don't give up if it's what you really want to do.

Good luck.

Jox