Psychiatrists 'on the edge' as care crisis worsens
CASE STUDY; Day of danger for a stressed doctor
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.By 8am on Friday, Dr Martin Deahl, a consultant psychiatrist at Homerton and Bart's hospitals, London, is in his office.
An hour later he is on his round of the acute ward. "We have 17 beds and 29 people needing them," he says. "Last year I admitted 460 people, all seriously disturbed ... People have to leave as quickly as they can, to make room for a more disturbed person."
He skips lunch to go straight to the emergency clinic, pursued by patients and relatives.
A schizophrenic patient has stopped taking his medication and is "going berserk in the community". "I'm physically too busy to do anything about it, so I have to send a junior doctor down to find this 6ft 6in huge guy ... [who] abuses drugs and is very dangerous when he is ill."
Dr Deahl is now 15 minutes late for a case conference for a patient who self-abuses. "When I turn up late it seems as if I'm not taking her case seriously."
Driving through London in heavy traffic, he is late for another meeting, this time with a schizophrenic and a council housing officer who is threatening to evict him because of complaints from the neighbours: "If this man is evicted ...he stress will lead to a breakdown, putting him back on the ward, and when he gets out he will have nowhere to live."
Dr Deahl leaves at around 6.30pm - nearly 11 hours after he started out. "I'm 39, and I already know my retirement date: 29 September 2014. That says something about morale, if you know it off by heart," he says.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments