Stay away from St Mark’s if you want to recover from any mental issues

Good day,

I am writing to express my deep concerns about the treatment I received at Life St Mark’s from August 4th to August 7th, 2024. I left the clinic feeling suicidal, more agoraphobic than when I arrived, and profoundly disillusioned.

Below, I outline the specific issues that led me to this state, culminating in my decision to leave the hospital:

- Pre-Admission and Arrival: Before checking into the facility, I was recovering from a serious illness and had been hospitalized. I have multiple chronic conditions, which I disclosed to my doctor. I called the facility ahead of time to explain my situation and emphasized that certain accommodations were not just desired but necessary for my care. My goal was to receive the best possible treatment during my stay given my physical limitations without drawing attention to myself.

- Hygiene and Testing Concerns: Upon arrival, I was asked to provide a urine sample. Despite my recent bladder infection and continued discomfort, I never received my test results, despite repeated requests. The hygiene practices were alarming; we were provided with Styrofoam cups for urine samples, which were left exposed at the nurses’ station. Some cups had a paper towel covering them, but I have serious concerns about contamination and overall cleanliness.

- Physical Limitations and Lack of Assistance: Due to my physical limitations, I received minimal help with my luggage, and I was assigned a room at the end of a long corridor. Despite having disclosed my gastrointestinal issues, which make eating full meals difficult, I was told I HAD to eat in the dining area. After being ominously informed I would be moved to "that" room, I struggled to move my belongings across the hospital (I did have some help from a kind nurse) nearly collapsing in the process. "That" room, supposedly a high-care unit, was staffed by nurses who showed little empathy. For instance, while unpacking, I accidentally dropped items under my bed and lay on the floor trying to retrieve them. Several people walked by, yet not one offered assistance or even checked on me, despite my history of seizures.

- Medication Mix-Ups and Chaos: From the first night, there were constant mix-ups with my medication. Medications were incorrectly dispensed, and the nurses consistently failed to coordinate with my doctor, who had to be disturbed at night to address these issues. I disclosed my need for pain management pills to be dispensed when necessary, but of course in reasonable amounts and at proper intervals. I also asked the nurse admitting me that in my panic about entering the facility I had forgotten my Venteze Pump and Monteflo tablets used to treat my chest issues.

- Disruptive Staff Behavior: On the first evening, after being told that bedtime was 10 PM and that devices had to be turned off by then, a staff member barged into our room at 9 PM, waking my already suffering roommate, to enforce an earlier lights-out policy. This lack of consistency and consideration was deeply distressing. I suffer from insomnia and try to read for an hour before attempting to sleep. I brought my books in on an iPad so that I didn’t have to use a light knowing I had a room mate and turned the screen brightness down and covered my head and the device with a dressing gown to quietly try to wind down.

- Morning Routine Issues: On my first morning, our door was thrown open at 7 AM, and we were told we were late. Given that our cellphones were switched off, there was no way to set an alarm. This, coupled with the staff bursting into our room without warning, left me feeling exposed and violated. Additionally, my room was directly visible to a male patient, further exacerbating my discomfort.

- Lack of Access to Mental Health Professionals: Despite being told I would have access to psychologists and social workers, no one seemed to know how to schedule these appointments for me. This was a stark contrast to my experience at another Life Healthcare facility that I had stayed at and had also provided access to a GP. I was concerned from day one being in a high care ‘neuro’ unit and having only the assistance of nurses.

- Traumatizing Incident on August 6th: On August 6th, 2024, I was traumatized by a series of events that I will never forget. I asked to be woken up at 6 AM to prepare for the day, but our meals were served in the room without proper trays or tables. While trying to eat, I dropped the tray due to my trembling hands, resulting in a mess that further distressed me and my roommate. Following this, I received incorrect medication again. This had happened the night before too and I only received my medication after our 9pm curfew. The nurses would also enter our room later in the evening to check my roommates vitals (for the record - I was fine with this as it was the care she needed). Those disturbances left us both struggling to get back to sleep. On one occasion, the nurse took my vitals and my blood pressure was so high that it was a medical miracle I wasn’t dead. I asked her to test again, change the cuff out and the reading was more normal in line with my usual readings. The nurses laughed. I didn’t find it funny. That kind of incident gives a patient anxiety. I also feel like the nurses and sisters believe that they have full authority and autonomy over our bodies that we live in daily, have learned to manage with the physical limitations plaguing us and that we are constantly treated for by specialists.

- Disturbing Medical Treatment and Faye’s Actions: Later that day, after struggling to breathe while walking to an appointment with my psychiatrist, I experienced a black out and severe disorientation. I later discovered that all of my belonging had been taken (my bag of valuables and water bottle. I still cannot find the glasses I had in the bag despite emptying it out several times and asking a nurse to help me double check all my cupboards, under the bed and any place o could think of which has added to my distress). I briefly remember seeing my doctor who was very kind to me and I was taken to my room. I was given a Voltaren injection, had a brief nap but subsequently began vomiting.

When I experienced what I believe was a seizure given the account of what my roommate said, a nurse named Faye dismissed it as a "pseudo seizure," without any proper assessment. She told my roommate to leave me alone and that I wasn’t having a seizure. This was despite my well-documented medical history, which clearly outlines my condition. I have seen several neurologists and at this stage I am diagnosed with epilepsy. Why would several SPECIALISTS be treating me with medication for epilepsy if I was ‘faking’ it. I have as recently as a few weeks ago been advised I need to see a neurologist in Cape Town. It is a complicated and arduous process to diagnose pseudo seizures which requires around the clock eeg and video surveillance. Who is Faye to assess me? She told my roommate that there was nothing wrong with me. I looked in the mirror later on and have a small cut between my eyes where I must have knocked my head on the bed. I do not self harm. Family have footage of my seizures that they have submitted to neurologists and I have a diagnosis of having a grand mal seizure as well as a transient ischemic attack document. Last year whilst trying to book into a mental health clinic in Johannesburg, I had one such incident and my psychiatrist immediately came out and said that the facility did not have the resources to look after me and transferred me to a medical hospital. But know it all without ever meeting me NURSE Faye was able to get a diagnosis without any formal training, testing equipment or qualification!

When I began to express my concerns and asked Faye what qualified her to diagnose me without an evaluation or any medical expertise, she became defensive and confrontational. She accused me of "faking" my symptoms and insisted that there was nothing wrong with me, even though my oxygen levels were dangerously low, as confirmed by another nurse who recorded my oxygen saturation at 79%. When I pointed this out, Faye dismissed the reading, incorrectly stating that the low reading was due to nail varnish, which I was not wearing. My fingers and toes had actually turned blue, a clear sign of hypoxia, yet she refused to take my condition seriously. My reading under a normal sat check up was at 86-87% earlier. Twice throughout the night I called the nurse that took my sats due to extreme paranoia of what Faye had said. He and my roommate confirmed that my oxygen was at 79% and he had moved the oximeter to a different finger to confirm the low reading out of concern. He at least showed a bit of humility.

Faye's behavior escalated further when she stormed into my room, demanding I eat if I wanted medication, despite the fact that I was too nauseous to eat. She rudely told me "no food, no medicine," and left abruptly. I was not at the facility to "score" medication; I was there to seek help for my suicidal thoughts and chronic health issues. Added to all that had happened, she completely put me off eating anything. I wasn’t going to fight over one pill and told her to keep it. Her actions were not only dismissive but threatening; when I questioned her, she told me to "watch myself," and to “be careful”, a clear attempt to intimidate me. She continued to shout and belittle me in front of my roommate and the entire ward, disregarding my dignity and my need for privacy. She told me that I was stressing out my roommate despite the availability of an examination room across from my room that she couldn’t have easily taken me to too, closed the door and spoken to me.

During this period, I was so distressed that I contacted my mother telephonically. Faye **** to my mother and said that I was with a doctor. She told my mother that she was enabling me. How could a mother enable her child if they reached out to her confused and looking for help and all she did was call to check what was going on. My mother texted me and asked if I had seen the doctor and I said no. My mother told me that Faye said I was with the doctor. Thinking I had blacked out again I asked my roommate if the doctor had been. She said no. I was in such a state that I asked my roommate if there was a doctor in the room as I thought I had completely lost my mind. Faye then back peddled and said a doctor had been called and I would be seen too. My mother then said that Faye was very rude and abrupt and asked if she can pick me up. I told her not to fearing for her safety driving a long distance at night with all of the terrible potholes in our area.

Faye came back and I asked her what gave her the right to diagnose me? We had never met. She is not a doctor. She is not a neurologist. I asked her why she **** to my mother about the doctor being with me and she denied saying that. She reiterated a doctor had been informed and would come and see me. I asked her why my low oxygen levels were not being treated with the level of emergency it garnered. I have been in hospital more times than I can count and know not to wear anything on my nails as it interferes with readings. She didn’t even think to get someone in to draw blood for an arterial blood gas (oxygen) check. She then proceeded to tell me that I was going in circles with her. Before I said anything, she turned around and challenged me to report her thinking she is untouchable for some reason. Her screaming was audible to not only my roommate but the whole ward. I asked again when a doctor was coming and she stamped and turned on her heels saying there is nothing wrong with me.

- Continued Neglect and Final Decision to Leave: The morning after this incident, I insisted on leaving the facility. Despite being my third day there, my morning medications were still incorrect. I was left alone to manage my conditions, including COPD and chronic hypoxia, with no appropriate care. The consistent neglect, lack of proper medical care, and Faye’s abusive behavior left me in a worse state than before I arrived.

- Interaction with Psychiatrist and Departure: I eventually met with my psychiatrist after waiting for 15 hours. She was unaware of my situation as Faye had not contacted her, despite claiming she had. My psychiatrist was shocked and upset when I recounted the events, particularly Faye’s lies and aggressive behavior. I informed her that I was leaving, and she supported my decision, expressing her own concerns about the mistreatment I had endured. She asked me to report the incident as it had now become a bad reflection on her level of care as a doctor who would have helped me had she known what was going on. Sister Jenny tried to talk me into staying. I would rather be locked in prison.

This experience has been the worst medical encounter of my life, compounded by the fact that I came to St Mark’s specifically to work through PTSD and other severe mental health issues. My depression, anxiety, PTSD, agoraphobia have now worsened. I will never leave my house again.

I am now considering legal action to ensure that no other patient has to suffer the mistreatment and malpractice that I endured at the hands of your staff - especially Faye. I do have several other issues but it has taken me two days to concentrate long enough to bring this to your attention.

If you need additional details included, feel free to ask.

Brenda Schultz