Mid Glamorgan Health Authority
Merthyr & Cýnon Valley Health Unit
Prince Charles Hospital
Merthyr Tydfil, C47 9DT
Telephone: Merthyr Tydfil (0685) 721721
Our ref: WHT/EW
23rd March 1990
Mr Fred Holroyd
15 Sandleigh Road
Leigh-on-Sea
Essex SS9 1JT
To Whom It May Concern
Re: Fred Holroyd
I was senior Consultant Surgeon at Musgrave Park Hospital from 1974 to 1979 during which time I came to know about the case of Capt. Holroyd who had been admitted to Netley Psychiatric Hospital through referral at Musgrave Park Hospital. I was not involved in the assessment of this officer, but was made aware of the concern of my fellow officers about the case at the time. I would comment on his initial referral by his Commanding Officer and not by an doctor, as being totally irregular. The Commanding Officer’s obligation in such matters is to involve the Unit doctor for advice and referral. This was not the case in this instance.
I would also comment on the fact that the Unit doctor, had he been involved would have had to assess Capt. Holroyd himself and assess the alleged circumstances relating to his family life. I can only surmise that his assessment would have been unwelcome and I can only surmise that this was the reason for this highly irregular and precipitate action on the part of his Commanding Officer.
Had his Unit doctor been involved and had he found cause for further referral in Psychiatric terms, such referral would have been made either to civilian Psychiatric Consultants present at Musgrave Park Hospital, or to Army Psychiatric Consultants.
As it was, he was brought to the hospital and presented to the duty medical officer. The duty medical officer was hardly a person to adequately assess a supposed acute case, having had no Psychiatric experience himself and not knowing, as the Unit doctor automatically would, the background of the family concerned.
At the time of the incident, there was grave concern expressed by a Physician at the hospital who sought sanctuary in the operating theatre, in order that he would not become involved in this affair. For a Physician to enter the portals of a surgical theatre was unusual enough let alone to request to remain there for any length of time!
Not only was Military Law clearly broken in this instance, according to my own understanding of the case then and now, but all aspects of medical practice were transgressed. His records at Netley ought themselves to carry due reference to the mode of his admission to Netley and I find it highly significant that no treatment of any kind seemed to have been given to Capt. Holroyd which would equate with a diagnosis requiring Section.
The whole episode of his medical referral in this aberrant fashion, in my opinion, requires full investigation and may be a slur not only on his Unit, but on the medical profession engaged in his transfer.
Yours sincerely,
W. H. Thomas MD FRCS (C) FRCS (ED)
Consultant Surgeon