The Glass House : A Novel of Mental Health (2024) by Buist Anne & Simsion Graeme

Author:Buist, Anne & Simsion, Graeme [Buist, Anne & Simsion, Graeme]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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When I get back to the main section of ED, Grace the CATT nurse is talking with Kate Rigby.

‘He’ll need to go to ICU,’ Kate says.

Grace turns to me and explains. ‘The man from Extended Care. Hell’s Angels made a mess of him. Last time he did his Jesus-saves routine they brought him in, did the right thing. But this was a different chapter, and for some reason he decided to wreck their bikes.’

I don’t know him, but I feel gutted. A guy with a mental illness, possibly fighting for his life, not because of the illness, but because of the way people responded to it.

‘That’s two psych patients in ICU now,’ says Kate. ‘Going for the record?’

‘The night is young,’ says Grace. She sees my expression. ‘Let’s get a coffee while I tell you about Tim.’

‘Created a bit of scene on the tram,’ she says, as she loads a capsule into the espresso machine. ‘He’s homeless, has schiz, no danger but … can we just pop him into a bed to get him off the streets?’ He’s already waited several hours on the non-urgent list.

The hospital system hates admitting people whose primary problem is homelessness. It’s a very expensive accommodation option and there aren’t enough beds to go around anyway.

Tim is in one of the cubicles, where he’s been checked out physically. He’s dishevelled and smells. People encountering him would probably think he was an alcoholic, but the way he’s talking to himself – or to the voices in his head – is more indicative of schizophrenia.

‘Any other ideas?’ I ask Grace. ‘How about a guardian?’

‘He’s already got one,’ says Grace.

Before I can think about it, I pick up a phone, ask to be put through to Nicole. Nash said she wanted to know if the system wasn’t working. At 11.45 pm on a Friday, it’s not.

I’m pretty sure I wake her. But she isn’t aggressive, the way consultants sometimes are. ‘I don’t want to admit him,’ I say to her after a quick summary, ‘because that isn’t the issue. His guardian isn’t looking after him and I think they should be doing the hard work, not us.’

Silence for a few moments. Then, ‘Give me the guardian’s details.’ Grace has them.

I end the call with Nicole and turn to Grace. ‘Let’s keep him here until morning and I’ll decide then.’ We have key performance indicators to consider. KPI number one is: Patients can’t stay longer than twenty-four hours in ED. I’ll be within that.

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