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Care Opinion

Maidstone Community Mental Health Team

Posted By Another statistic

"Maidstone Community Mental Health Team"

About: Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust

(as the patient),

I was referred to the Maidstone CMHT by my GP after recently slipping back into an episode of severe depression and anxiety. After an assessment with a social worker who admitted no medical qualifications I was told I would be contacted within 2 days as the clinical team only meets one day a week.

I received no response at all and followed up again the week after to be advised that it was still being assessed and I would hear back by the end of the week. They didn't.

I was left completely in the dark and not followed up with, at a time when I had clearly stated to them that I had made previous suicide attempts and had been thinking about suicide on a daily basis. This is completely unacceptable and dangerous considering the vulnerability of the clients that are supposed to be in their care.

Eventually I received a brief call from them because they were advised by Kent Police that someone had rang them with concerns for my welfare. I was extremely angry and told them if they were concerned about my welfare they should have had the decency to follow up from my assessment. The person on the phone said that they did not have to put up with being spoken to like that and the call ended!

Since that time I raised a complaint via the standard NHS procedure and to team directly, and Maidstone CMHT have still not had the decency to even acknowledge or reply (the NHS PALS team have in fairness to them). Maidstone CMHT simply do not care.

I've yet to find out the reasons for the appalling standards, and I can appreciate that some of the issues relating to mental health provisions are outside of the control of the NHS, but the team could take a number of very simple and achievable steps (such as communicating with clients) that would go a long way to helping vulnerable people in very desperate situations.

I firmly believe that based on my experience people are at risk as a result of this team's failings. Judging by my own experience, conversations with my GP, and from reading the reviews here, it is plainly obvious that Maidstone CMHT is being mismanaged and needs urgent attention.  

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Responses

Response from KMPT 6 years ago
KMPT

Submitted on 08/03/2018 at 10:14
Published on Care Opinion at 10:22

Dear Another statistic

We are very sorry to hear about the challenges you have had in accessing the support you need.

Maidstone CMHT offer a ‘Meet the Manager’ regular surgery and I know that Buba Cooper would be pleased to speak to you to see what we can do to better support you and see how we can improve care more generally.

These events are held monthly on the third Friday of each month, 9 – 12 midday, and the next surgery is held on 16th March.

You can just turn up to these surgeries although the manager would be happy to speak to you at another time if you wished to call her to arrange an appointment on 01622 766951. Please mention that you have been directed to call her following your feedback on Care Opinion and NHS Choices.

Thank you for raising this issue.

Update posted by Another statistic (the patient)

If Buba Cooper would be "pleased to speak to me". Perhaps you could ask her why she and her team did not offer one single response to the 10 emails I sent them directly, or to the 4 messages that the NHS PALS and Complaints Office told me had been forwarded personally to her with an instruction to address my concerns.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but that does not sound like Buba Cooper would be "pleased to speak to me" or anyone else for that matter.

P.S. I did ring yesterday to arrange an appointment and she was unavailable to take my call or call back. I did manage to speak to the person who made my initial assessment and they at least had the courage to admit what had happened. They forgot to pass my case onto the clinical team and then forgot I was on their caseload. They literally admitted that nothing has been done for me because I had been completely forgotten about! It certainly is a challenge accessing your support isn't it? You forget people and when they send you 20+ emails, phone you, lodge formal complaint procedures and try to get you to act, you still don't even seem to know I actually exist!

It seems pretty obvious how you could "better support me" and "improve care more generally", it also seems pretty obvious that you have no intention of making those steps. A "Meet the Manager" surgery is worthless if your managers aren't actually prepared to learn from these issues.

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