When Maureen McIlquham’s daughter Michelle was discharged from hospital on a cool autumn night in 2009, she never imagined the 28-year-old would be dead in the family home just hours later.
“It’s got to stop. If something doesn’t change then more people are going to die and young people are going to die,” Maureen McIlquham told 7.30 as she held a photo of Michelle.
Like an estimated half a million Australians, Michelle McIlquham had an intellectual disability.
Her mother believes that fact influenced the doctor who discharged her.
“[The doctor] put in her notes, on her discharge notes, that Michelle had a temper tantrum, that was more upsetting, that she wasn’t sick, she had a temper tantrum, it was because she had an intellectual disability,” she said.
Michelle was sick with an ear infection, and was acting out of character.
The young woman, who loved singing and dancing, was barely able to speak.
She was rocking back and forth on the floor of the hospital, covering her ears and screaming.
“I said, can’t she stay, she needs to stay, she needs treatment, I thought the doctor would say yes, I was worried about her and it was a hospital,” Maureen McIlquham said.
“Eventually the doctor passed through and said, ‘oh, you are still here?’, she said ‘do you want security to help you out?’ I just turned around and the security guards were there.”