"Continued nightmare of bureaucracy"

I feel that something is very wrong with the centre.

Explanations

I am a patient with persistent depressive symptoms and anxiety. Back in 2020, I was referred to the Claybrook Centre’s Primary Care Mental Health team for advanced support, as my GP advised my case was too complex for GP care.

I was placed onto a group course on Emotional Regulation skills with a Counselling Psychologist. This is despite my repeated, voiced concerns about it being not suitable for my condition(s), the group nature of the course, as well as it not being a NICE recommended treatment. I was told that unless I tried to engage with the course, I would be discharged for not being compliant. After a few sessions, they allowed me to drop out of the course 1 month after starting, as it became abundantly clear that the group course was doing more harm than good to my mental wellbeing.

Since then, I have been trying to get support from the team with no luck. I have tried to get in contact with the psychologist, who told me that they are no longer responsible for my case, and that the Primary Care team has dissolved.

My GP informed me over 1 year later that the H&F Central MINT team will offer me a diagnostic/medical assessment with one of the specialists to re-consider my treatment options. This did not happen.

One month after this, I tried again to speak to someone that might be responsible for my case at Claybrook. After being informed that I am not on their system at all, I was told conflicting information by 2 different members of staff about the status of my file. At one point, I was told that there was an appointment booked for me the day after, without my knowledge; only to receive a further phone call from a different staff member informing me the appointment was made in error.

I attempted to speak with a team manager after this huge confusion. I was able to reach someone, who was also unclear on what the status of my referral is, why I am on/off their system and whether I had an appointment or not. Although they promised to get back to me on the next working day, this did not happen. I did not receive any phone call for the appointment that had been made in error.

Since PALS’ intervention, I was offered a psychiatrist appointment, after which I was issued a care plan and a further appointment to access my needs. I was seen by a separate psychiatrist this year; my understanding was that they referred me to the psychology team for psychotherapy. My next appointment with the psychiatrist is next month, though I am unsure what that is for.

Recently, due to a deterioration of my conditions, I attempted to contact someone at the centre for assistance. I repeatedly called the Single Point of Access helpline, which directed me to the Hammersmith Central MINT team and the Psychology team on different occasions; sadly, neither teams knew what was happening with my file. There does not seem to be a care coordinator for me, and I do not know if I am on a waiting list.

How this has affected me:

My conditions have significantly deteriorated since the initial referral from my GP in 2020. I was in a slightly better place during my appointment last year, and unfortunately that seems to have set me off into the administrative black hole of the centre once more. My suicidal ideation has increased in frequency and detail. I have not been able to access other counselling options (such as IAPT) due to the severity of my conditions. The inability to locate any help from the mental health team is undoubtedly constituting another source of distress.

I am concerned by this apparent gap of mental health care for patients who are too ill to benefit from low-intensity therapy, but too well to be considered for inpatient treatment. Whilst I have sympathy that the team is probably dealing with high-turnover and bureaucracy, I sincerely do not know where or how I can get the health care I need and deserve. 

Being listened to