"Thank you for prompt sensitive care on a bank holiday"

My brother in law has a history of mental health problems. On New Years Eve he seemed not to be himself and we decided to call for help on Tuesday, after the holidays had ended. We knew he had been discharged by the mental health team because he has been well for some time and his GP was now looking after him.

However, on New Years Day he was very ill. He was verbally aggressive, which is out of character, and talking irrationally.

Reluctantly, at about 10:00am I called the Crisis Team for help. I did not know if there would be staff available, as it was a Bank Holiday and I did not know if they could help as my brother in law was no longer under their care.

The person who answered was a great help. He said I was right to call them, whether my brother in law was open to them or not. He reassured me that they would help all they could, but did say that it may take a bit longer than usual.He asked me to clarify a few matters and call him back.

When I called the team back the man I had spoken to was out with another client but the woman who answered knew all about our situation. She had been briefed and we did not have to go over everything again. This made me feel confidence in the service, I felt that I was dealing with professional people who understood our problems.

I was told the team would discuss our situation and call me back within a set time. They did this and said they had arranged a doctor to see my brother in law if we could get him to the inpatient unit. They said that the preferred option, at the moment, was for “home treatment” but this was dependent on the assessment. The person I spoke to understood that it may have proved to be difficult to get my brother in law to the hospital and ask me to keep them in touch. They said that if he wouldn’t go to the hospital they would still help but it would take more time. This was perfectly reasonable and as a family we appreciated the honesty.

Luckily, we had no problem convincing him to go to hospital. This was because we were able to reassure him that the team were looking at home treatment rather than admitting him into hospital.

At the hospital we saw the staff at the exact time of the appointment. They spent some time talking with my brother in law and gave him medication to take straight away.

Since then a member of the team has visited each day. Each has been friendly and professional and my brother in law is already making progress albeit slowly.

My brother in law has over the years been acutely ill a number of times and been admitted to hospital under the mental health. This crisis has been dealt with far more humanly than any previous. It also appears, at present, to be the crisis he is overcoming quickest.

Thank you to all involved.