Man, 18, with nut allergy 'almost dies' after nuts delivered to ward in suicide attempt

An 18-year-old man with a nut allergy has said he almost died after arranging the delivery of Brazil nuts to a hospital ward in a bid to end his life despite staff knowing about the potential harms. Jacob Robertson, from Swansea, was admitted to Ward F at Swansea Bay University Health Board after attempting suicide in February, but weeks later said he is still waiting for the help he desperately needs. The board said it can't comment on individual patients in its care, but hopes to better understand Jacob's concerns.

He told the Express he went into anaphylactic shock and almost died after he ate some of the nuts delivered to the ward. While his life was saved by medics, the youngster said the "life-threatening" safety breach has left him with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

During another episode when he was feeling suicidal, Jacob said he managed to escape the ward through a window after staff left an office door open. He was later found by the police and returned to the ward, telling staff he had wanted to kill himself.

The youngster has alleged a catalogue of failures in his care at Swansea Bay University Health Board, including "hostility" from a nurse, "cold" and "dismissive" treatment from a psychiatrist, as well as neglect from a crisis team. After one suicide attempt, staff dismissed it as "attention-seeking behaviours".

Jacob was diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder in March. Describing his experience, he told the Express: "It's been absolutely awful. It's been a constant battle. It's still up in the air now whether I'm going to get the help I'm desperate for."

This includes a request for a full-time care coordinator and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), a kind of talking therapy that aims to help people who feel emotions very intensely, improve relationships, and develop coping mechanisms.

An A-grade student while at school, Jacob told the Express he felt failed by a system which should be helping him. He said: "On Ward F, I felt trapped. I had very little engagement with staff and when I did speak to someone it felt like they were only doing the bare minimum.

"I would try to express how unsafe and overwhelmed I felt, but often, my concerns were dismissed. The ward was filled with a sense of neglect. People who were clearly in distress were left to struggle without meaningful intervention.

"I remember feeling like I was invisible - I was just another patient in a system that wasn't listening. Instead of feeling safe and supported, I felt isolated and overlooked."

Now at Cefn Coed Hospital, which is managed by the same health board, Jacob is still waiting for a full-time care coordinator and confirmation as to whether or not he will receive DBT. A weeks-long request for his medical records was finally resolved on Thursday, when he received his paperwork.

Jacob pinpoints the beginnings of his mental health crisis to a GP prescribing him with 100mg of the antidepressant sertraline.

He said his mental health difficulties worsened from that time onwards. NHS guidance states the usual starting dose of sertraline is 25mg a day in adults.

Now the youngster wants an apology and independent investigation into Ward F as well as Swansea Crisis Team, which Jacob has accused of neglect. This includes an allegation he was sent home with breathing exercises despite his request to be hospitalised as he grappled with thoughts of suicide. After that advice was given, he made another suicide attempt.

Jacob's mum, Rebekah Robertson, said: "It's been a horrendous few months for us all as a family. The treatment has been appalling... We're almost four months in and still nothing is being done."

She added: "We just want Jake well again and back leading his life. He's got so much potential."

Jacob shared his experience in a bid to raise awareness. He has also started a , urging people to support his call for better mental health care provision.

A spokesperson for Swansea Bay University Health Board said strict confidentiality rules mean the board is unable to comment on individual patients in its care.

They added: "Therefore we cannot comment on the claims being made. However, we can confirm we are aware of the patient's concerns and we are working to better understand and hopefully resolve them. We actively encourage patients to always let us know if they have any concerns."

Olly Parker, head of external affairs and research at the mental health charity, YoungMinds, said the country is in a mental health emergency and the system is stretched to breaking point.

He added: "It's heartbreaking so many young people are struggling to get the support they need. This generation has grown up experiencing a unique set of pressures, with a lot more uncertainty about their futures, intense academic pressure, a cost of living crisis and increasing global instability.

"When they reach out for help young people are faced with a system stretched to breaking point. Many experience long waits or are turned away because they're told they're not ill enough. The consequences of this can be devastating, with many becoming more unwell."

Mr Parker said to turn this around, the Government needs to urgently prioritise young people and their mental health by investing in prevention and early intervention.

He said the Government also needs to look at how it can reduce the pressures youngsters face. Mr Parker added: "This includes rolling out mental health support hubs in every community and reforming the education system to better support individual learning and prepare young people for life beyond school."

The Welsh Government said: "We are working to improve the quality and safety of our mental health services and have invested £2million in the NHS Executive to drive improvements.

"Our recently published 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy outlines how our long-term approach is centred on early intervention, prevention and person-centred care, ensuring people are referred to the most appropriate form of support, at the right time and without delay.

"We are also developing better access to mental health support, which includes our urgent 24/7 call 111 press 2 service and online cognitive behavioural therapy which can be accessed at any time, without the need for referral from a health professional."

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