"Waiting time and communication"

Well, the West London Mental Health Trust, where to start? I think the waiting list is an utter joke: 13 months at the very least and you hear absolutely nothing from them while you wait.

When I was first refered here, the referal was lost somehow, so I had to be refered again; of course, I only found this out by ringing the clinic up to check for updates. Even this was more effort than it should be: not once when I rang did anyone pick up. Eventually, I resorted to calling the switchboard and asking to be put through to someone more senior before finally being able to speak to someone. To make matters worse, the outcome of all this effort was simply "just wait for us to contact you via post". Easier said than done: they sent my letter to the wrong address. As I didn't reply to that letter which I didn't receive, I was kicked off the waiting list; when I was re-referred by my GP, I was right to the back of the line.

I was finally seen a good two years after my original referral (all this time, without any aide or support from the clinic). The clinic itself was dingy and depressing; the waiting room was on the first floor, accessible via an unkempt corridor and staircase. Once inside, you are hit with a wall of depression and sadness; no one looks happy to be there, not the staff and certainly not the patients.

Anyway, I kept my head up and waited to see the doctor for my initial assessment. Thankfully, the doctor could not be nicer; they clearly knew their stuff and they were understanding and kind. They said I would need a few follow up appointments and I should speak to the reception to book something in. To my dismay, the "follow up" appointment I was given was itself a staggering 8 months away, but I accepted it not having any other choice. The receptionist handed me a letter confirming my appointment date, which included another stern warning that failure to attend this appointment would result in me being kicked off the waiting list again.

After that, I left (never have I been so happy to be outside! ) and I haven't heard anything from the clinic since until today when I received a copy of a letter which was, presumably, sent to my GP. The letter itself was lazily written and included grammatical mistakes, making it genuinely confusing to read. A couple of sentences had been hastily highlighted although I cannot for the life of me work out what is significant about those in particular (one line stating that I've been CC'd so I'd have my GP's contact details... why do I need the WLMHT to tell me my GP's details? I know who my GP is! ). My whole experience with them has been substandard; their whole system reeks of an uncaring and sloppy attitude.