A MAN from Bolton has spoken of the treatment he received at a psychiatric ward, comparing it to a prison.

Christian Ogden, aged 44, from Central Drive, Westhoughton, admitted himself to Beech Ward at Royal Bolton Hospital on February 26 after he had been struggling with his bipolar disorder and had been in a major depressive episode for six weeks.

He said: “As soon as I got there I was like ‘what have I done? I thought I’d rather be in a Victorian asylum.”

Mr Ogden contacted The Bolton News after reading about the suicide of Sharlene Godding, aged 27, who escaped from Birch Ward — another psychiatric ward at the hospital.

Mr Ogden, a chartered surveyor, said: “I’ve been where Sharlene’s been, I didn’t manage it, but it’s a fine line.”

He said he wanted to speak out in the hope that care might be improved to prevent another case like Miss Godding’s.

Mr Ogden said: “Sectioned patients were climbing out of the windows and staff weren’t doing anything, one ran over the roof, went into Great Lever, scored drugs and came back on the ward, staff didn’t bat an eyelid.

“One patient erupted and smashed the place up. He just switched from hot to cold and then he went back to his room. There were no staff and after they heard it they all came out of the office.”

Mr Ogden described how the three toilets on the ward had no lights and were covered in faeces. He said pills were given out “like they were going out of fashion” and patients were like “zombies”.

He said most of the patients were drug addicts and many were being given methadone and valium, to “shut them up”.

He said: “I didn’t want my best friend to come, I didn’t want him to see it. The visits were conducted in a shared dining room, there was no privacy.”

Mr Ogden’s mother, Anne Hornby, aged 71, a retired nurse, was with him when he was admitted via A&E and visited him on the ward.

She said: “The first day I went and sat down and waited in the dining room. There were no staff around and there were patients wandering about, one was leering over me. It would have been very overwhelming for anyone of a nervous disposition.”

Mr Ogden said the most worrying incident was on March 2, when he was able to walk away from the ward after telling a member of staff he felt suicidal. He said: “I decided to try to commit suicide in my room. I went all day, nobody saw me.

“I said ‘can I go out?’ and they let me out for a smoke and I walked across to the main reception and phoned a taxi. No one came to find me. It took an hour and a half from me leaving for them to phone my mum. I attempted again at home.”

Mr Ogden discharged himself that day and says he has got himself better since leaving Beech Ward that day.

When he was 21, Mr Ogden spent time in a mental health unit in Chorley before he had been diagnosed as bipolar. He compared the two experiences. He said: “Chorley was fantastic, the staff were so nice and you were treated with decency.”

He said after spending four months in Chorley he was like a new person, he got a degree at UCLAN and went on to have a career as a surveyor.

Mr Ogden said he believed Miss Godding’s death would not have happened if the staff were more caring.

Gill Green, director of nursing and governance for Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation said: “We would like to offer Mr Ogden our sincere apologies that the level of care he received whilst on Beech Ward was not of the standard he expected, nor of the standard we set ourselves.

“Within our mental health wards, Our nurses work hard to balance what is in the best interest of the patient along with providing the least restrictive care possible. We aim to treat that person with understanding and compassion as well as delivering the care and treatment they need. Some people will be detained under the Mental Health Act, and can be distressed during their admission to hospital. Our nurses aim to manage these situations carefully to keep individuals as safe as possible.

“Medication is prescribed on the wards but only when needed and following careful consultations with the nursing team.

“There can be occasions when people will attempt to bring illegal drugs into hospital. Our staff do their utmost to prevent this happening. We do have a clear policy to manage such situations which includes the use of sniffer dogs and working with the police when necessary.

“Our wards are inspected for cleanliness regularly, and our latest inspections show good results for cleanliness. When there are maintenance issues, such as lights not working, we get them fixed as soon as we can.

“If a person is showing signs or indications of potential self-harm they are monitored very carefully and would not be allowed home until they were sure the person is safe to leave the ward. They may be detained under the Mental Health Act if our clinicians feel that is the safest course of action.

“We realise that observing all this whilst being unwell is not a pleasant experience and for this we are very sorry. I would like to assure Mr Ogden that we are going to look into each of the points he has raised very carefully and we thank him for speaking up. No matter what the circumstances, all our patients should feel they are being treated with care and compassion. I would be more than happy to meet with Mr Ogden personally and work with him to make sure our wards offer the best care we can to our patients.”

Melissa Laskey, director of service transformation at Bolton CCG, said: “We will be looking into this as a matter of urgency.”