Introduction
For over a year, Shannon C — a young woman from Doncaster struggling with addiction — has been desperately waiting for real rehabilitation, not another “assessment” or short-term prescription.
Despite her ongoing health crisis and a signed Power of Attorney authorising me to act on her behalf, Doncaster Council and Aspire Drug & Alcohol Services continue to pass responsibility back and forth, while Shannon’s condition worsens by the week.
This is not just about one person. It’s about how a system built to “help” the most vulnerable has become a bureaucratic wall — impossible to break through unless someone dies first.
Stage 1: Council’s First Response – Avoiding Responsibility
On 15 October 2025, Doncaster Council replied to my initial letter demanding urgent rehabilitation for Shannon.
Their answer: they claimed they “cannot discuss individual cases without consent.”
But I wasn’t asking for private details — I was asking for action.
Aspire receives £5–6 million every year in public funding to provide addiction treatment in Doncaster, yet only 11 people were offered residential rehab in 2024/25, and just 2 more places are planned for 2025/26.
That’s not public health — that’s systemic neglect.
Stage 2: Final Response – Silence Disguised as Procedure
On 3 November 2025, Rachael Leslie, Director of Public Health at Doncaster Council, issued a “Stage 2 – Final Response.”
The Council repeated the same excuses:
- they “don’t hold confidential information,”
- they “see no performance failures,”
- and they “monitor deaths through data systems.”
But here’s the shocking part:
They admitted that deaths of people ‘awaiting treatment’ are not even recorded.
That means if someone dies before Aspire agrees to help — it simply doesn’t count.
This is how statistics are kept low, while real people are buried quietly.
Aspire’s Failure – and the Human Cost
Shannon herself wrote a short note on 25 October 2025:
“Aspire are slacking in their skills and people with addiction who are supposed to be in the service for getting help are dying. Over the last year, 20+ people have died, people as young as 22 years old.”
Shannon also suffered a serious infection on her left thigh — the result of not receiving her prescription on time and being left to go through withdrawal alone.
This is what happens when “care” becomes paperwork and funding reports replace real human help.
My Role – and Why I Won’t Stay Silent
Shannon gave me full Power of Attorney back in August 2021, and recently reaffirmed her consent in writing.
I see her every week.
We go shopping together, I buy her food and clothes when she needs them, and when she loses her phone, she calls me from a friend’s number — she knows mine by heart.
Anyone suggesting she’s “too unstable” to give consent hasn’t met her. She knows exactly who’s helping her, and who’s ignoring her.
Where the System Fails
Doncaster Council says Aspire’s work is “overseen by OHID” — the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
So, who is responsible when 20 people die in one year waiting for treatment?
The Council? Aspire? OHID?
The truth is: everyone points at someone else.
Meanwhile, people like Shannon pay the price.
Next Steps
I have now:
- submitted a formal complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) for maladministration,
- requested an oversight review by OHID,
- and given Doncaster Council 10 working days to take real action before further escalation.
If they continue to ignore this case, I will submit evidence to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and to members of Parliament.
This will not disappear into silence.
Conclusion
Shannon’s story is not an isolated tragedy. It’s a mirror of what happens when public health becomes a numbers game and compassion is replaced by procedure.
A system that cannot protect those who need it most has lost its moral right to call itself “care.”
We are not asking for pity — only accountability.
📁 Official Documents & Evidence
All official correspondence, responses, and legal documents related to this case are available for public review here:
👉 Open the Shannon Project – Doncaster Council Folder
(All files are authentic copies of official communications between Piotr Filipowski, Doncaster Council, and related institutions.)