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I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel now

Posted By Cmp189

"I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel now"

About: CAMHS (Outpatient Services) General practices in Tayside Paediatrics / Paediatric Outpatients

(as a service user),

My child suffered from a big change during Easter which resulted in what I can only describe as manic episodes. He has really struggled with things both at school and home since then.

My GP Dr Tewari at Stanley medical centre has been wonderful. She has been caring, understanding and persistent in trying to get help for my child. Even when we were dismissed by CAMHS in a quite frankly outrageous response from them saying my child was simply having behavioural issues, she persisted to look for ways to get us the help we needed as she could see things were not right with my son. I am so thankful for this.

It led us to an appointment with another wonderful doctor Dr Brink, a consultant paediatric neurologist at NHS Tayside. In a complete opposite response from CAMHS, Dr Brink could see that my child had significant difficulties. He spent time finding out and discussing with me my child's symptoms. He was so caring and thorough and when a follow up test was required very conscientious at making sure I was informed in a timely manner. His report has captured exactly what is going on and the tests he ordered have resulted in a possible explanation for some of my son's symptoms. Dr Brink then spent time further referring him on.

I am so thankful for the care we have received from both of these doctors as things were feeling really bleak for a while. I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel now. 

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Responses

Response from Diane Caldwell, NHS Tayside 2 months ago
Diane Caldwell
NHS Tayside

Submitted on 24/09/2025 at 12:36
Published on Care Opinion at 12:36

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are truly sorry to hear that your initial contact with CAMHS left you feeling dismissed and unsupported during what was clearly a very distressing time for both you and your child.

We understand how important it is for families to feel heard, understood, and validated—especially when a child is experiencing significant emotional or behavioural changes. Please be assured that your feedback has been taken seriously and will be shared with the relevant teams to support ongoing service improvement.

All referrals to CAMHS are reviewed by our multi-disciplinary clinical team, based on the information provided by the referrer. As a specialist service, CAMHS supports children and young people with moderate to severe mental health conditions. It may be that the information we received at the time did not meet our referral criteria, which we recognise can be frustrating and disappointing.

We are very grateful to hear that Dr Tewari and Dr Brink have been able to provide the care your child needed, and we hope this has made a positive difference for your family.

If you would like to discuss your experience further or have any questions about the referral process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are committed to learning from feedback and improving the support we offer to children, young people, and their families.

Warm regards,
Diane Caldwell
Clinical Care Group Manager
CAMHS Out-Patients
Centre for Child Health

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