Emergency services 'let down' victims

Imogen Turnbow, along with two other women who were victimised by spiking incidents, recently expressed displeasure with how medical personnel supported them when spiked. Both felt they had been “blamed” and were denied tests as a result of medical negligence by them. Imogen Turnbow and Saraya Haddad, former students from Brighton who claim they were denied drug tests at A&E; staff there discouraged them from notifying police; while Ms Turnbow even reported being told by an operator at 111 that it was her responsibility. South East Coast Ambulance Service, which runs the 111 service in Sussex and Kent, expressed regret at hearing of any issues regarding its service and took them seriously. Royal College of Emergency Medicine stated in 2022 that an A&E’s primary function should be meeting victim medical needs rather than collecting forensic samples. As Ms Turnbow described it, her experience went from fully aware to unconsciousness at a busy Brighton bar within moments and into waking up inside a closet shortly thereafter. “I had no clue where I was and had lost feeling in both legs. Since that night I am constantly asking what happened; who were with and where were we. No answers come readily available from me. ” Ms Turnbow reported visiting Royal Sussex County Hospital A&E department the next morning but being advised by staff there that nothing they could do and she needed to dial 111 instead. Ms Turnbow reported that after speaking with an operator from a non-emergency line, she was assured they would call back within several hours but instead received no reply until 24 hours later – something the non-emergency number stated would happen within 48 hours. Ms Turnbow claimed she experienced “complete victim blaming” from a nurse at the 111 service who told her they needed to be more vigilant while going outside, which Ms Turnbow saw as victim-blaming behavior. “I felt very let down by two services meant to support you during an unsafe situation, leaving me completely lost and uncertain of my options in that moment of panic. She ultimately decided not to report this incident with police authorities. “South East Coast Ambulance Service takes any concerns raised very seriously, so would like Ms Turnbow to contact us so we may investigate her case further,” according to their spokesperson. Ms Turnbow hopes her experience can encourage victims of spiking to come forward; otherwise it might get hidden under the carpet and ignored altogether, she warned. Stamp Out Spiking, an anti-spiking charity, estimates that close to 98% of victims fail to report incidents of spiking. One major barrier, according to Ms Turnbow, is stigma around spiking itself: either people don’t believe you or it is seen as “something that just happens”, she noted. Spiking may not constitute an explicit offense, but it remains illegal under separate laws. According to the government, one such law which addresses this activity specifically is Section 24 of the Offenses Against the Person Act 1861 which prohibits maliciously administering poison with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy another individual. As punishment, this crime carries up to five years imprisonment as its maximum penalty. Saraya Haddad hopes her experiences can serve as lessons to others. Last year she told BBC she had been spiked while sipping three drinks and eating for three hours at a bar before heading off to perform in a street play in central Brighton. “I woke up 13 hours later recollecting nothing at all and found out my friends had taken me home,” the 27-year-old admitted. “Wanting to provide proof, she visited A&E at Royal Sussex Hospital the next morning but was shocked when A&E refused to test for drugs that may have been used against her in such an assault. According to Metropolitan Police estimates, it may be possible to detect whether someone has been spiked within seven days using urine or blood samples.” But some drugs leave the body within 12 hours or much sooner, according to authorities. They explained only law enforcement can conduct a forensic test; otherwise if someone has been sexually assaulted they can go directly to a sexual assault referral centre where they will receive specialist support services as part of a comprehensive testing protocol. “Not Reported”The now PhD student reported hospital staff discouraging her from going to police as being “waste of time”, due to how long since the event had happened. Royal College of Emergency Medicine advocates emergency departments should encourage victims of spiking to contact police immediately; when given consent by them to do so. Ms Haddad said she chose not to pursue further legal actions after her experience. However, she decided to turn this incident into a solo play designed to raise awareness of spiking at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ms Haddad noted the need for “much more education” among younger audiences while encouraging emergency departments to test for any substance which might contain spikes. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust informed local media outlets that patients were treated according to their symptoms; A&E can only treat people if they’re sick – no screening tests are conducted routinely at A&E units. Since neither woman had received care at A&E they stated they wouldn’t comment further on what occurred there.