I have been very vocal in expressing my view that mental health care in the UK needs to be better. Everyone I have spoken to who has attempted to access mental health support from the NHS has been left feeling let down. This is not a reflection on the service as a whole, it is a reflection of the lack of funding the service receives, which leaves it overstretched and unable to cope with the growing demand. It is also not a reflection of the people who do fantastic work for the NHS.
So why do I have this view? I have written about my personal feelings when I tried to access mental healthcare, which you can read here. This post also includes Julie and Heather’s experiences.
I’d like to share with you some shocking tweets I came across on Twitter which highlights my views. If these tweets aren’t enough to persuade you that more mental health support is needed in the UK, then I don’t know what will.
If you would like to share your experience accessing mental health care in the UK please get in touch! I’d love to feature your story. I will continue to raise awareness about this issue until something changes.
Wellbean blog 
Your post makes quite unnerving reading as I know I have been failed by my local health authority numerous times.
I have been under the care of Durham NHS mental health team for roughly ten years: at least I was until Feb 2019 when my CPN and new Psychiatrist turned up unannounced at my door.
“I should have had a letter” they explained. WELL I have yet to receive said letter.
“Oh well we just want to do a medication review whilst here.
(Really this was inconvenient as my daughter and her new baby were visiting).
During the review they decided that as I had coped well on an ever decreasing dose of Diazepam it would be the right time to cease with it all together.
I should explain that for 9 years I had a “no upper limit as directed by the hospital” caveat.
I tried to explain how anxious this was making me feel. I had had a blip with my mental health during December, thinking I had overdosed on prescribed medication, I rang my CPN five days in a row needing help, only for my calls to be ignored.
Explaining this to the two medics.
The response from my CPN -“ I didn’t respond to your calls because I knew you would be asking for Diazepam “
I THOUGHT I WAS DYING.
They left after an hour rubbing salt in the wound saying I should be proud that I managed to come of Diazepam as very few people managed it.
I later received a letter saying I had been discharged into the care of my GP.
At no point would they listen to my concerns. I explained my psychotic episodes & my CPN said she believed in spirits an thought one could be visiting me. I end my tale.
“Spirits”
there are no words.!!
I think that I am/was an inconvenience or perhaps my medical conditions cost too much.
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This makes me so mad that they have failed you this badly. If you ever need help knocking on the right doors to get your voice heard I can help you. I can be very persistent, you’re not an inconvenience, nor should you be made to feel like one. Thanks for sharing your experience xx
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