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Distress caused by lack of mental health support

Posted By Very Concerned Parents

"Distress caused by lack of mental health support"

About: Tees, Esk And Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust / Adult mental health

(as a service user),

I previously received support from the York IAPT service, which hugely helped me.  I was told by the service that 'the door was always open' and to contact them again if I needed further support.

After suffering serious mental health problems, with support from my GP I contacted the service looking to take up the offer of further support.

I explained that I had previously used the service and been told the door was always open and explained why I wanted to take up that support again.  With my first contact with the IAPT service I spoke with someone who sounded experienced and fully understand what I was saying. They were very helpful and told me I would be called by a practitioner the following week.

Then a different practitioner called me at the arranged time.  Did not tell me their name or role but began asking me about why I needed the service. I explained at great length the extreme mental health issues I had been dealing with; that I had been told to contact the service as 'the door was always open'. I explained that my mental state at the time was better than it had been (but still very unwell) for many months because I felt relief at finally getting support. Therefore I was no longer feeling suicidal as I had been.

The practitioner listened, but I felt sounded very inexperienced. For example, was making empathetic responses at strange points in my account, coming across as if those responses were being made because they were supposed to make them, not because they were listening and being empathetic.

At the end of the conversation, despite learning I had recently been suicidal, had depression, anxiety and was unable to sleep or function, the response was to tell me that I did not qualify for the service and that they would email me a list of private organisations I could contact for counselling.

I was extremely shocked and upset by this response.  I feel that my contact with the service has had a detrimental impact on my mental health, leading me once again to feel suicidal.

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Responses

Response from Tees, Esk And Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust 3 years ago
Tees, Esk And Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 01/03/2021 at 10:01
Published on nhs.uk at 20:09

We are sorry to hear about the concerns you have raised about your experience of the IAPT service. As you have contacted the PALS service and requested feedback via them we have responded via that route and offered you an opportunity for discussion with one of our Clinical Leads.

Update posted by Very Concerned Parents (a service user)

I have not had the response you describe from PALS or been offered the opportunity for a discussion with one of your clinical leads. I had a phone call from one individual who does not appear to be registered with any health professional regulatory body and whose professional qualifications are unclear. I assume that call is not what you are referring to. I would assume a NHS clinical lead would be registered with one of the recognised healthcare professional regulators and their qualifications would be clear to the public. I found that the person I spoke with was defensive and argumentative, would not allow me to express my view and spoke to me in ways I feel were completely inappropriate for a conversation with someone known to be suffering from significant depression, making the situation far worse.

Response from Karen Collman, Patient & Carer Experience Officer, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust 3 years ago
Karen Collman
Patient & Carer Experience Officer,
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 05/03/2021 at 09:17
Published on Care Opinion at 11:12

We understand you have now had the opportunity to speak to our Clinical Lead and hope you have received a helpful and satisfactory response to your concerns

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Very Concerned Parents (a service user)

Thank you, yes I have now been contacted by him, I had not when you previously posted to say I had

I appreciate his heartfelt apology for my very negative patient experience and the steps he is now taking to ensure I now receive appropriate care.

I hope as a Trust lessons have been learnt and staff that clearly need it will receive support and training so no-one else has to experience similar distressing care.

Thank you for responding.

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