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Still waiting for one to one therapy

Posted By Destiny

"Still waiting for one to one therapy "

About: South West London And St George's Mental Health NHS Trust / Primary care mental health

(as a service user),

As a service user of South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust diagnosed with severe reactive depression I was referred to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service, and received an assessment in may 2014. I clearly required and still do require support and to date am still awaiting one to one therapy offered.

I am of the opinion why?

Why offer support to an individual and allow such a pro-longed suffering?

Why allow an individual’s mental health concern to escalate?

In my experience South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust does not adhere to the equality policy and implement it on all levels within its Trust.

I think South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust protects the minority exercising wrongdoing, for the majority wanting to do greater good.

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust has not relieved my mental illness, it has exacerbated it for me.

I have made all my concerns known to South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust; without satisfaction. I have also attempted via my general practitioner to be referred to the neighbouring mental health trust Maudsley Hospital but was denied due to the location of my residence, so I am forced to use South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust regardless of their unhealthy management of me.

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Responses

Response from Darren Langridge, South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust 9 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Darren Langridge
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

Submitted on 18/07/2014 at 11:50
Published on Care Opinion at 12:44

Dear Destiny,

Thank you for your posting here on Patient Opinion; your feedback is very important to us as it gives us an opportunity to review procedures and practices, and introduce changes as necessary that will improve the patient experience. Please let me start by conveying my apologies to you for any unnecessary distress we may have caused.

The Trust's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services receive around 10,000 referrals a year and in order to manage this level of demand, the services adopt a widely used practice of triaging following an initial assessment. In order to provide the most appropriate type and level of treatment, some individuals referred are recommended for a more prolonged and specialist treatment, for which there is often a significant demand. Unfortunately this often means that individuals are asked to wait until an appropriate therapist is available to take on another patient.

The patient’s GP will be informed of this decision and asked to take responsibility for ensuring any significant changes in patient need are identified and addressed.

In order to consider all patients equally, decisions regarding allocation for treatment and support are based on patient need and therapist availability. For those patients with similar types and level of need, each is allocated to treatment in consecutive order of referral.

We are sorry that you feel your mental health needs have increased as a result of referral to the service and the service’s response. We will always aim to see patients as soon as possible. We are aware that waiting times are not at a satisfactory level and we are currently working with commissioners to improve waiting times. In the meantime we would advise that you remain in contact with your GP in order that any changes in your circumstances can be considered, and where appropriate other forms of support and treatment considered.

I do hope you find this response helpful but if you would like further help or would like to us to make more extensive enquiries on your behalf, then please email us at complaintsmanager@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk giving us your full name, address and contact details.

Kind Regards,

Darren J Langridge

Patient Experience Lead

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