"PSS Health Trainer Service"

I was concerned about the amount of weight I was putting on & generally becoming inactive so I went to see my GP. The GP had originally told me not to go to the gym because this seemed to trigger my CFS symptoms & I could not see a dietician as I was “not heavy enough” or “do not have a psychological eating disorder”. The GP therefore referred me to the health trainer.

I went feeling fairly pessimistic but wanted to give it a try as I was feeling pretty desperate and low. The health trainer wasn’t overly friendly & it was as though they had a script about healthy eating & going to the gym but not much else (not necessarily their fault & the constraints of the service). I knew the advice would be quite limited as I can’t eat certain foods because I have IBS (fruits & vegetables especially set it off) & was still advised I should be going to the gym at least 5 times a week (but ideally every day) & eating more fruit & veg. Information wasn’t written down in terms of advice (ie, an action plan) which would have been helpful as I have memory issues as a result of my CFS and I was given a booklet about heart health which I already know about. This just wasn’t what I was hoping for & made me feel quite down & upset afterwards. I have discontinued the referral as a result & self-managing my health instead as I don’t feel I have any other options.

This may have been an inappropriate referral via the GP but all the same, I didn’t find the session friendly, empathetic or helpful which is the least you could hope for, for anyone who might benefit from this type of support.