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Inadequate care and attention.

Posted By MoJ321

"Inadequate care and attention."

About: Royal Cornhill Hospital / Adult mental health

(as a service user),

I am 26 years old and have suffered mental health issues since my early teens; however, I only went to the doctor about it when I was 19. I moved to Aberdeen 4 years ago and have been trying to get the relevant mental health support for much of that time -with no success... I recently got contacted by the mental health team- this was my only hope or I'd still be living a miserable life where my good days are just that I don't feel like killing myself but still, very much so, depressed. I am fobbed off to irrelevant departments, proper assessments are not done to make an appropriate decision then you're just left with no help and to continue struggling by yourself.

I do not know what people think I have been doing for 13 years but I know a lot about different therapies and mental illness; after all, I have been living it. I have had counselling for around 3 years in total. It surely shouldn't be left for a CPN to decide, but a psychiatrist instead. Two appointments and they think they can make an important decision? Unacceptable.

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Responses

Response from Fiona Tejeda, Lead Nurse, Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Service, NHS Grampian 3 years ago
Fiona Tejeda
Lead Nurse, Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Service,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 01/11/2021 at 09:56
Published on Care Opinion at 10:11

picture of Fiona Tejeda

Dear MoJ321,

Thank you for sharing your experience following contact with our Mental Health service. I am so sorry to read it has left you feeling fobbed off and moved around departments. This is not what we would want anyone to experience.

I do note you felt that an assessment by our Community Mental Health Nurses was inadequate. We have some very skilled and experienced nurses in our service who work at specialist and practitioner levels, this does allow us to offer you and other users of our service more time for a comprehensive assessment. These are then discussed with our wider team who agree on suggested treatment plans. It is no longer an expectation that all persons referred to our service will see a medical practitioner.

As your entry here is anonymous I am unable to explore the specifics around your journey into our service. I would be happy to be contacted if you would like me to look into your case and experience further. We also welcome re referrals back to our service if, after contact, your symptoms have not improved. Please contact your GP who can arrange a referral with an update on your situation.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via gram.citymh@nhs.scot if I can be of any further assistance.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by MoJ321 (a service user)

The suggested 'treatment plan' was no action. I was talking about my experience with counselling I have received before (approximately 3 years worth) and was told that I have not had 'secondary care therapy' but when asked how that would be different, the CPN couldn't tell me how that would differ to what I've had before so I can only assume it is the same. They then said that they didn't think medication would be that good an idea and so it became clear that the therapy was my only option so I said so and said I would take it if its my only option to then be told I wasn't in the right position for it so refused it?!

I have struggled a very long time, I'm largely not functional day to day because of how I feel. I feel I've possibly come as far as I can with discussing past trauma but was prepared to do the therapy if it was all that was on offer. From what I can gather it was an open and shut case and my attempts at asking to speak to someone else has been unsuccessful which I think is unacceptable.

From what I gather, a letter has been sent to my GP about things such as diet, routine and exercise. This isn't acceptable either, I have tried lots of things over the years and neither of that makes a difference and exercise did get obsessive at one point and I nearly fainted multiple times so that's no use either.

I want to talk to someone there about the possibility of medication. There's plenty they haven't got me to try.

Thanks for your response. Please leave your number and I may phone.

Response from Fiona Tejeda, Lead Nurse, Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Service, NHS Grampian 3 years ago
Fiona Tejeda
Lead Nurse, Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Service,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 01/11/2021 at 12:28
Published on Care Opinion at 16:36

picture of Fiona Tejeda

Thank you for providing more detail regarding your experience, I would welcome an opportunity to understand this further. If you could email gram.citymh@nhs.scot with your contact number we can arrange a time that suits us both for a call. In your email, if you can let me know your name and date of birth this will allow me, with your consent to look into your records in advance of our discussion. I look forward to hearing from you.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
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