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Everyone has their own perspective on mental health, especially those who have experienced it. 'An untimely death on Passchendaele Ward' is written and performed by members 'The Orphans of Beulah' - a theatre group consisting of mental health service users and survivors. It is a modern day farce focusing on life in a Mental Health Institution. A death on the the ward leads to a lot of questions being asked. There are nurses self-medicating, patients acting as nurses, commissioners turning a blind eye. Who turns out on top, and what actually did happen that fateful night on Passchendaele Ward? In two of the audio tracks, service users, professionals and practitioners comment on the drama an some of the issues it raises. In the remaining audio tracks, Jonathan Leach of The Open University's School of Health and Social Welfare explains why the drama was commissioned, and how it fits in with the aims of the course. He also gives an overview of the course and who it's aimed at, and talks about how he came to be involved in mental health education. This material forms part of K225, Diverse perspectives on mental health.
Track 1: An Untimely Death on Passchendaele Ward
A short introduction to this album.
- Read a transcript of this track - you'll need a PDF viewer, such as Adobe's free Adobe Reader
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Untimely Death on Passchendaele Ward | A short introduction to this album. Play now An Untimely Death on Passchendaele Ward |
| 2 | Scene 1: The Patients Advocacy Office | The first patients' council meeting is scheduled, but it's a no-show. One patient accidentally turns up, and passes on the news of a terrible happening on Passchendaele Ward the previous night. Play now Scene 1: The Patients Advocacy Office |
| 3 | Scene 2: The Unit Manager | The Patients' advocate calls Gus Tarpow, the Unit manager, to discuss the unfortunate incident. Play now Scene 2: The Unit Manager |
| 4 | Scene 3: The Nurses | Nurse Moking and Nurse O'Render discuss their jobs, whilst Nurse Moking is casually taking medication meant for the patients. Play now Scene 3: The Nurses |
| 5 | Scene 4: The Dealer | The Unit Manger, Gus, meets with Bill (a friendly pharmaceutical salesman) and they discuss the merits of cheap medication. Bill also speaks to Gus about the unfortunate incident. Play now Scene 4: The Dealer |
| 6 | Scene 5: The Smoke Room | Two patients, Maria and Deidre, discuss the workings of the ward, and decide it's time to leave. Play now Scene 5: The Smoke Room |
| 7 | Scene 6: Where's Nurse Moking? | Gus, the unit manager, discusses the incident with Nurse O'Render. Nurse Moking is no-where to be found.They prepare for the the Mental Health Act Commissioner's visit. Play now Scene 6: Where's Nurse Moking? |
| 8 | Scene 7: The Truth About Medication | Nurse O'Render confides in Maria and Deidre what happened to Nurse Moking. She needs their help to move her - but where to? Play now Scene 7: The Truth About Medication |
| 9 | Scene 8: The Commissioner | The commissioner discusses access policies with the Unit Manager, and demands to see the patient advocate to discuss the unfortunate incident. Play now Scene 8: The Commissioner |
| 10 | Scene 9: The Cupboard | Nurse O'Render explains to the advocate why Nurse Moking is currently residing in her cupboard, and why she needs to be moved! The Commissioner meets with the patient advocate and discusses the incident. Play now Scene 9: The Cupboard |
| 11 | Scene 10: The Events Unfold | The commissioner wants to see the notes from the night in question, but they haven't yet been written up. Nurse O'Render explains what happened on that fateful night. Play now Scene 10: The Events Unfold |
| 12 | Scene 11: Try Telling The Truth | Nurse O'Render discusses her worries about the upcoming tribunal with patients Maria and Deidre. Play now Scene 11: Try Telling The Truth |
| 13 | Scene 12: The Tribunal | The tribunal takes place. The judge arrives, and it's none other than Bill, the friendly pharmaceutical salesman! The patients stand up for themselves, and take matters into their own hands. Play now Scene 12: The Tribunal |
| 14 | Service users' perspective | A group of service users discuss the video "An Untimely Death on Passchendaele Ward" with reference to their own experiences of institutional mental health care. Play now Service users' perspective |
| 15 | Practitioners' perspective | Practitioners and professionals discuss the video "An Untimely Death on Passchendaele Ward", reflecting on the balance of care and control in mental health treatment. Play now Practitioners' perspective |
| 16 | About the course | Jonathan Leach of the course team outlines The Open University course and who it's aimed at. Play now About the course |
| 17 | Getting involved | Jonathan Leach of the course team talks about his background and how he became involved in the field of mental health. Play now Getting involved |
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