"Why was I not consulted about withdrawing support?"

I have just received a letter telling me that due to changes I will no longer have the support of a named mental health worker. It shocked me that this information didn't actually come from my present worker. It shocked me that I wasn't even consulted on how I felt about this. I think it is extremely sly to just stick a letter in the post. I am not discharged from the service, and am on a list for therapy. Well actually I am on a list to talk about the possibility of therapy and what type. Can it get any worse?

I have had the support of a worker for almost 40 years. I have various mental health problems that make me feel fragile and vulnerable. Having regular contact with a worker feels vital to me.

I rang up the named person on the letter to discuss this decision, only to be told that basically there weren't enough staff to give me a worker and things had changed. What? In other words, there have been discussions about me behind my back, a decision to stop me having a worker, and I wasn't even included in coming to the decision. I was told that I can still ring a duty worker or the crisis team on a crisis. Now that might sound fair enough but the last time I phoned in a crisis I was told to go make a milky drink and try and sleep. I was gobsmacked at the time. I felt suicidal that night and I was told to make a milky drink. So, while it might sound like support it's not. I can get that kind of support from the samaritans. I thought intervention was at the heart of a crisis but unless you have actually self harmed or tried to commit suicide you are not taken seriously.

I am not a patient who abuses the system. I don't call my worker unless there is genuine need. I don't call the crisis team every five minutes. I expect this has been interpreted as me not needing the support. It's not true. That contact with a worker was so important to me and actually helped me to not feel the need to ring the crisis team.

I have continuous mental health problems. I want/need a regular form of support through a named worker. The mental health service is just that... a service. It has decided not to serve my needs.