"Help Rejected"

There seems to have been a distinct change in how this surgery runs over the last year and it’s not for the better.

Firstly, when someone is in a mental health crisis it helps if they are triaged with a GP who perhaps has some knowledge of their history rather than one who thinks they are simply drug seeking benzodiazepines for their severe anxiety. I do not appreciate being made to feel like I am simply unwell in order to get a quick fix, my history shows quite clearly I have barely had any prescriptions of the benzodiazepine diazepam in a period of 10 years. I felt fobbed off in April when seeking help in the beginning of a mental health crisis after speaking to a GP who I believe is training in your practice.

Gradually over time my crisis got worse, but the less said about how that progressed the better, the point is I tried knowing from my own experiences to resolve and put a plan in place to stop me sinking further and a GP at your practice didn’t want to know, this then saw my mental health crisis escalating.

I appreciate times have been incredibly difficult due to the outbreak of Covid-19, but this should not mean patients are not treated with the respect they deserve regardless of what their illness is.

I have had to chase prescriptions up finding myself running to pharmacy 5 minutes before it closes on a Friday to get medication I need in tears and a highly distressed state and one receptionist is always rude when I enquire when things go wrong from your end, again I do not appreciate being spoken to in this way. Most of your receptionists are incredibly helpful and understanding but one is not.

Finally, I find my weekly prescriptions are ‘rejected’ online and when I enquire why over the phone, I am told because they were issued last week… Yes, I know I am on weekly prescriptions for a reason – surely the GP issuing them can see this on your system. None of this helps someone who is in a mental health crisis, who is battling every day to keep themselves alive.