A now-deleted social media post and NHS jobs advert used the term several times.
A mental health charity has come under fire for referring to its patients as “challenging”.
St Andrew’s Healthcare, who describe themselves as an Award-winning mental health charity caring for the country’s most vulnerable people, faced heavy criticism on social media over the weekend after a job advert described their “challenging patients”.
A now-deleted social media post and NHS jobs advert used the term several times.
The social media post read; “If you have an in depth experience of working with challenging patients in mental health service then @StAndrewsCare has the perfect role for you.”
The job advert asked for applications who have an “in depth experience of working with challenging patients in a mental health service.”
“Our Neuropsychiatry division offers unrivalled care, treatment and rehabilitation for adults and older adults with challenging behaviour and complex needs”, say added.
Damaging terminology.
A look back at previous social media postings and historic job adverts see the term used repeatedly.
One senior learning disabilities nurse explained the damage terminology like this can cause. “This is such a stigmatising phrase and it’s concerning that this is how you see your patients and openly use the phrase.
“You would be better to ask for senior staff nurses with a wealth of experience”, they added.
Another mental health nurse suggested the terminology did nothing but blame patients for their own illness and suggested terminology like “complex needs” was more appropriate.
The organisation’s most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report rated the organisation’s women’s service as inadequate and its men’s and adolescent services as requiring improvement.
An apology.
A St Andrew’s spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise for any offence caused by our recent job advertisement, which contained outdated terminology.
“As a Charity we are committed to encouraging people to talk about mental health, so we can destigmatise the most complex of conditions and stop discriminating against those who are experiencing mental illness.
“We are exceptionally disappointed that this advert was published with such clumsy language.
“We have now undertaken an audit of our recruitment advertisements and marketing materials to ensure we do not use this again.”
