A GREENOCK woman who suffers from a serious inherited illness claims Inverclyde Royal Hospital told her to go home after she warned that she would try to commit suicide.

Lyndsay Davis, 37 was later found unconscious in her home and rushed by ambulance to hospital

She claims she was again ordered to go home – and threatened with the police if she refused to leave.

Lyndsay said she suffers from depression from worrying about her Huntington's Disease, which is in its early stages. It is a genetic disorder that affects muscle co-ordination and leads to mental decline and behavioural symptoms.

She said: "My father was adopted and didn't know the Huntington's gene was in his family. He is now a totally vegetative state.

"I'm worried sick about myself, and my three children will now have to be tested to see if they have the illness."

She said she told IRH that she lived alone and had no-one to support her at home, but was shown no sympathy.

Lyndsay said her problems with the hospital started when she went to accident and emergency on Friday November 20 and told staff she was feeling suicidal.

She said a doctor agreed she should be admitted, but psychiatric nurses came down from Glasgow, told her to go home and said she would be visited the following day by nurses from the psychiatric response team.

Next day, nurses phoned her at 2pm but by that time she had taken an overdose of pills.

The nurses called the police and an ambulance, and Lyndasy was taken to IRH.

Lyndsay said: "A doctor wanted to admit me, but the response team again said I had to go home.

“I told them I didn't feel well. They said they would call the police if I didn't go. They ordered a taxi but I had to stop it after a few yards to get out and throw up.

“The taxi driver took me back to the hospital. Staff checked me and put me out again, saying there was nothing in my bloodstream. They were not concerned about my mental wellbeing.”

Lyndsay said she was sick again when she went home, and the following day she sent a text to her friend Chris Hodge at 9.30am to say she wasn't feeling well.

He has keys to her flat, and, when he got there at 4pm, found her slumped face down on the floor.

Mr Hodge said: “She was cold. I thought she was dead and quickly phoned for an ambulance.”

Lyndsay was admitted to IRH's J North ward, but told to go home the next day.

She said: “I told them I would throw myself in front of a car if I had to go, so I was admitted to the IRH Langhill intensive psychiatric care unit for 10 days. They were fantastic in there."

She was discharged from Langhill on Thursday December 3, but received 'devastating news' about her family the following day which made her feel suicidal again.

But she claims the hospital refused to re-admit her.

Then, on Friday December 11, Chris took her back to the hospital because he was so concerned about her.

Lyndsay said: “I was breaking my heart, but they wouldn't listen.

“They know I live alone and that they have a duty of care to me but I feel I'm just a number. I'm worried about the future.

“I know I shouldn't have taken an overdose, but I feel failed by the health service. There should be more awareness in A&E of mental health issues. People are slipping between the cracks."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde say they dispute the information provided by Lyndsay.

A spokesperson said: "The patient underwent a comprehensive assessment on November 20 when she presented in the emergency department. 

"Following this assessment, the patient agreed with staff to be discharged home with follow-up from the crisis team the following day.

"The patient presented the following day, November 21, and was once again given a full assessment by both emergency department staff and the community psychiatric nurse, who deemed her fit for discharge with community psychiatry follow up.

"On a third visit to the emergency department on November 22, the patient was admitted to the Langhill Unit for further assessment and treatment."

The spokesperson added: "We’re sorry if this patient has concerns about her treatment or care, and would ask that she contact us to discuss with her direct."