FAFADISH.CO.UK
– stands for Families And Friends Against Detainment In Scottish Hospitals.
It was established by Peter Burns following the incarceration of his stepson, Gavin, in a Scottish Hospital.
How it Started
Gavin was the innocent victim of a Road Traffic Accident which almost cost him his life. FAFADISH was established to highlight cases like Gavin's where people are incarcerated, and their human rights denied, by a 'system' which is unfit for purpose and which the Scottish Government has committed to eradicate. See the following Government statement -
By March 2024 we want and need to see real change with out-of-area residential placements and inappropriate hospital stays greatly reduced, to the point that out-of-area residential placements are only made through individual or family choices and people are only in hospital for as long as they require assessment and treatment.
Mission Statement
Why We Need FAFADISH
Families and friends often feel voiceless in these circumstances. They feel they should accept the decisions of the people in 'authority'. The 'system' is incredibly difficult to navigate. They are frightened of vindictive reaction if they speak out.
We cannot accept 'lack of resources' or 'staff shortages' as an excuse for treating our vulnerable loved ones worse than criminals. We wouldn't accept this as a reason for putting innocent people in prison. To put someone in prison you would need police investigation, social services reports, justification with CPS, fair trial, right of appeal, etc etc. THEN – if prison is the necessary step....prisoners have education programs, entertainment, exercise, training, and even work. Our vulnerable innocent loved ones have boredom, fear, and misery and all for an indeterminate time! If criminal prisoners were treated like this they'd soon be on the roof!
Objective
Our Aim
is to raise awareness of the plight of our loved ones, to lobby the politicians, and to question the doctors, hospitals, health care trusts, regional managers, and indeed NHS Scotland itself, and the Scottish Government, to make sure everything that can be done is being done. One of our supportive MP's made the point that a secure bed in a psychiatric unit costs far more than a community placement. Surely a little common sense and out-of-the-box thinking would reduce the misery of a great many people.
Objective
Our Aim
is to raise awareness of the plight of our loved ones, to lobby the politicians, and to question the doctors, hospitals, health care trusts, regional managers, and indeed NHS Scotland itself, and the Scottish Government, to make sure everything that can be done is being done. One of our supportive MP's made the point that a secure bed in a psychiatric unit costs far more than a community placement. Surely a little common sense and out-of-the-box thinking would reduce the misery of a great many people.