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Concerned about Lifeline confidentiality

Posted By castorfk35

"Concerned about Lifeline confidentiality"

About: Immediate Outreach Service / Lifeline Service - Belfast/Derry

(as a service user),

I was experiencing anxiety issues and phoned Lifeline as I was recommended to. 

I hadn’t been sleeping so slept during the day and I was awoken to find the police looking and knocking through my window. This increased my anxiety the first time as I thought something had happened to my mother. They had been phoned by Lifeline as they couldn’t get me but I was asleep!

When they phoned me the next day the guy said everything was confidential, however he pushed and pushed me to give a reason as to why I was feeling like this so I told him a lie, to which he said oh I’m phoning your GP. He also phoned the out of hours GP who also phoned me and I had to assure them that I was fine.

I asked Lifeline that night NOT to phone me again and they agreed.

However they phoned the next night to ask me whether social services had been involved. I explained they had and even have the name of my social worker. They assured me they had no intention of phoning them even when I phoned them back a while after that call as I was in such a state. However I have found out in the last hour that they did in fact phone my social worker.

I tried to email them with my complaint however quite conveniently their email doesn’t work. I am now seeing a counsellor and he is amazing and my life has turned around completely for the better.

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Responses

Response from Harry Miller, Assistant Service Manager, Lifeline, MATT, Student Mental Health Service, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust 2 years ago
Harry Miller
Assistant Service Manager, Lifeline, MATT, Student Mental Health Service,
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Submitted on 17/02/2022 at 12:18
Published on Care Opinion at 12:18

Dear Castorfk35

My name is Harry Miller and I am the Assistant Service Manager for Lifeline. I want to thank you for getting in touch and for telling us about your experience. I'm very sorry to hear this was your experience of Lifeline. I want to look into your experience in more depth and I will be coming back to you in the next week with more information, but I wanted to ensure you knew that we have heard this.

I will be investigating your story and will come back with an update as soon as I can. In the meantime, if you would like to share more specifics with me, you can email me to Harry.Miller@belfasttrust.hscni.net, however I understand that might not feel comfortable to you, and I want you to know I completely understand.

Many thanks again,

Harry Miller

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Response from Harry Miller, Assistant Service Manager, Lifeline, MATT, Student Mental Health Service, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust 2 years ago
Harry Miller
Assistant Service Manager, Lifeline, MATT, Student Mental Health Service,
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Submitted on 21/02/2022 at 13:40
Published on Care Opinion at 13:40

Following on from your email correspondence I just wanted to say thank you for getting in touch and sharing your experience. I am glad that you have great support in place now, and I wish you the very best moving forward. We will respect your wishes and I want you to know that we will reflect on your feedback and endeavour to take this on board to improve our service in the future.

Thank you again for telling us your story on Care Opinion.

Best wishes,

Harry Miller

Assistant Service Manager

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