Practical Advice How Does My Friend in the UK Stay Safe?

Ok, there was a previous installment about how my friend couldn't get her meds. She finally found a pharmacy that would prescribe to her, and she's taking her meds. The problem now is that she's suicidal. Hopefully if she can stay safe long enough, the meds will kick in and get her stable again.

Here's a link to the old thread in case anyone wants to see some background info:
https://www.suicideforum.com/community/threads/pharmacy-in-the-uk-that-wont-dispense-meds.181001/

Going to the hospital would be an obvious option. There are a couple problems with this. One is that the hospital told her if she needed to go in again, to go to A&E. A&E told her point blank not to come back again. Also, she's got her dogs and no one to care for them, so even if she could be admitted there would still be that problem.

She's been sectioned before, and getting sectioned again might be an option because she'd definitely get admitted to the hospital, and the police would make arrangements for her dogs. The only problem with this is that it's not an option one can simply volunteer for, the police have to decide you need to forced into the hospital.

There are suicide respite houses, but usually a long waiting list, and I also don't know if they would take dogs. I guess if she were in the respite house long enough and that became at least temporarily her new residence (and didn't have to pay rent for her current residence) she might be able to pay for a kennel.

I think there are also some non-residency suicide drop-in services, though I don't know if that would be enough to keep her safe.

Any thoughts?

@Butterfly
@Ash600

@RCee

Regarding the dogs, your friend's local authority (municipal government) is legally obliged to look after them:

"Local authorities... have a duty to take into their care any pets that cannot be cared for by family or relatives (or where there are no family or relatives to assist). They have a duty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA) to ensure the welfare needs of those animals are met whilst they are responsible for them (even if this only on a temporary basis)."

https://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=dKsisv49NZ4

Your friend could also contact the RSPCA to see if they could find a foster home for her dogs while she's in hospital. If they are a specific breed, there are breed-specific fostering groups on Facebook.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/foster

One thing you can be sure of with English people is the vast majority of them (not all, alas) will move heaven and earth to make sure an animal doesn't suffer.

She should just ignore what A&E told her. If she needs to go back she should go back. Does she have any kind of document on which the hospital's instructions to go to A&E are written?

Crisis team?

Fantastic and very detailed reply @Butterfly

Thank you
They're Siberian Huskies
I don't know, but I don't think so.

Here's the Siberian Husky welfare site for the UK

https://siberianhuskywelfare.co.uk/

@may71 trying to work out if you’re being sarcastic or not?

No, I wasn't being sarcastic. I think you gave a really good reply with a lot of potentially helpful information.

As far as I can recall, I've never stooped to playing any kind of malicious games on the forums. It's just not my style.

Oh, @Butterfly I thought it was you who posted the first post for some reason.

In any case, it's @Licorice I should thank for the first post.

@Butterfly I also thank you for your reply, though it was more brief.

@Butterfly

If the possible explanations for a post I make are:

1. May spaced out/ had a brain fart

2. May is being malicious

You can rely on the explanation being option one. Sorry about that. I think maybe I was expecting a reply from you because I had tagged you, or because I also saw that you had posted. In any case, apologies.

@may71 it’s okay I was just a bit like, well it wasn’t exactly a lengthy reply so I was a bit confused lol. I was just about to go out so I had to dash.

I think she should see the GP and ask for a referral to the crisis team. They can keep an eye on her whilst she’s getting back on her meds. Or she can call 111 option 2.