Does anyone have any experience of the repatriation of foreign restricted patients? Have a failed asylum seeker wishing to return and despite the support of the MDT things are going nowhere.
Hya Rob… nightmare mate! I once represented a similar Italian guy at Ashworth! I had to find an Italian psychiatrist and hospital will to accept and the negotiate with the MOJ! I had open LA then as well, not as easy now with the franchise I guess
Steve
The first question to ask, is restriction still necessary? Since restrictions should be reviewed constantly and what is it going to achieve depending returning to their orginal country.
If possible, remove restriction and use the Government Returns Service?
I once got a restricted patient returned to China but it was an uphill struggle as she was going to a very poor area and they felt the care would be ‘inadequate.’ However, she did not speak English, her parents lived near the hospital and she had been admitted there before, so knew what it was like. From memory I got the MHT to make and Extra Statutory Rec and it was arranged via MoJ. An NHS nurse accompanied her on the flight to China!
“You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave.”
I’ve had a few restricted clients wanting to return but I don’t think I was ever successful. From memory, the MOJ don’t even want to consider it until the patient’s ready for conditional discharge. I did have a Court of Protection client who, after about two years and an absolute fortune in legal costs, just about managed to retire to Nigeria (A London Borough v VT [2011] EWHC 3806 (COP)).