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Why is this taking so long?

Posted By Desperatemother

"Why is this taking so long?"

About: April House

(as a parent/guardian),

My son had to leave university because of anorexia. His gp immediately recommended him for treatment to April House. After the initial assessment where it was agreed he was in urgent need of treatment he has been kept waiting with only very sporadic contact to tell him he has to wait another few weeks, then another. Meantime his behaviour is becoming entrenched, his quality of life has sunk to barely existing, he looks like a skeleton, his health is very poor, his future is slipping away. He could have been helped if only he had been seen earlier. Why is this taking so long?

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Responses

Response from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust 7 years ago
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 08/03/2017 at 11:41
Published on nhs.uk on 09/03/2017 at 02:40

Thank you for posting your feedback on NHS Choices. I am sorry to hear your son is unwell and you are concerned he is not receiving the support you would have expected. While patients are waiting to be seen by April House, they are advised to keep in touch with their GP on a regular basis. I appreciate however that you would like your son to be assessed as soon as possible and I can assure you that I have shared your concerns with the manager of the service to make them aware of this.

Due to confidentiality, I am unable to provide further details in this message, but if you would find it helpful to a speak to a member of the Customer Experience Team, please do not hesitate to contact us on 023 80 874065.

With kind regards

Julie White, Customer Experience Advisor

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Desperatemother (a parent/guardian)

He has been assessed by April House and is waiting for therapy. We have been waiting longer than 18 weeks now. How can the GP help? It is specialist therapy he needs and that is what April House should provide if he can get to the top of the ever expanding waiting list. I am sure April House is as underfunded and underresourced as the rest of the NHS but we should have been given a clear idea at the start when the therapy would begin. Originally we were told 3-4 weeks. Had we known it would stretch beyond 18 weeks we would have begged or borrowed the money for private treatment. My son is in absolute despair, as are we. Your response is not helpful.

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