"I feel there is a real problem with the crisis team's approach"

For some people this service may work but I find it horrific.

In the Camden teams the majority of staff I have encountered have been male (the ratio has been 3: 1 in the past). In my opinion, they have few telephone counselling skills but at night you are told to ring them but after a couple of attempts I no longer wanted to. They didn't come out and they told me they were very busy and to go to A&E if I needed help.

I found the Samaritans so much more professional, I believe they have significantly better training and will give you time and listen. On one occasion (in the days when I tried to call) I was hearing voices telling me to overdose. I was terrified and asked the crisis team worker what I should do. They told me they didn't have time to talk to me as had listened for 10 minutes and had to be elsewhere and I could either go to A&E or take all the tablets - it was up to me. I couldn't manage and took a major overdose, did not alert anyone and was then found unconscious on the street.

I feel there is particularly an attitude towards women in crisis. As a woman I don't feel safe working with them so would rather be admitted to hospital. It does not surprise me that while ward suicides go down in number, suicides of patients under crisis team care has risen dramatically. And I understand that this borough has the highest suicide rate in the country.