Health Services are Simply NOT good enough.

Now I know everyone moans about health services and I know that people are trying to help us but I don't feel enough is being done.

In my case I have a few issues. I've just moved to a new area, and fortunately I've been stable. But it's been almost two months now and the NHS still hasn't arranged a new appointment with a psychiatrist. It worries me that had I entered depression/mania I would have had absolutely no support around me. It should be a priority for the NHS to get patients, particularly those under strain e.g. recent move to see a psyciatrist instantly.

Secondly medication; I hate the fact that I can only order 1 months medication at a time. I've no idea why this is the case; if they're worried about suicied attempts then 1 months medication is probably still enough to do it. Also I suffer badly from withdrawal if I don't have access to my medication. A few times (Stupidly on my part) I've left my meds at home when I've been away for a few days. The only way to get new meds is a 6 hour wait in A and E, annoying everyone there because in there eyes its not an emergency and getting a prescription. I don't understand why I can't have a permanent card that entitles me to a prescrption whenever I need it without having the ordeal of having to see a doctor EVERY time.

My final concern is with "disability". I hate the word but I'd have to admit sometimes I am "disabled" i.e. unable to work for a few weeks a year at particularly bad times. I think more needs to be done to highlight some of the issues in the workplace..... Does anyone have any similar problems? And any suggestions as to how to get some sort of change to the current services?

Hey!

I completely empathise. I moved area about a year ago and trying to sort support out was an absolute nightmare. Where I used to live I saw a consultant psychiatrist every 6 weeks, a counsellor at least once a week, had a CPN and contact with a psychologist where necessary.

When I moved the first thing I did was go to the GP and asked to be referred to a psychiatrist and community mental health team. He said that they were not able to refer people to psychiatrists any more and that my GP surgery would manage my condition. I objected, explaining that I have had many hospitalisations and sections, regularly need my medication to be reviewed by a specialist, and also needed support in the community. He flatly refused to refer me. So I went to see another GP at the same surgery, who referred me straight away. It took a while but finally I got a CPN. I did end up getting very ill this year and spending a lot of time in hospital. On being discharged, I was supposed to be supported by the crisis team. They were terrible. They didn't keep in touch, they didn't do what they promised, they were very rude on a number of occasions, and more worryingly, they just didn't care.

Finally after a year I have a reasonable support network. I have a psychiatrist I can get on with, a CPN who I like, and I pay for counselling and psychotherapy privately since the wait on the NHS is ridiculous. It's expensive but I see it as an investment. I think the lack of availability of therapy on the NHS is the thing that annoys me more than anything. I know they are training a lot of new people up to do CBT etc, but I know several people who have tried that and said that they did not feel that their 'therapist' was well enough trained. Besides, 6 sessions of CBT is very limited for people with a life-long heath condition.

I can only get one month's medication too, although they used to only give me enough for a week at a time (I'm not sure why- I have never overdosed or threatened to!) so I don't find it too bad, although I'm a busy person and sometimes I have run out of meds.

I could complain about mental health services all day, so I should probably stop there. In terms of changing things- well my way of doing that was to become a research psychologist and look at different types of therapy for bipolar, and how they might be delivered within the NHS. Unfortunately, change is very slow.

Best, keenie