"Ballenden house referral"

I was referred over 2 years ago to the mental health team for a Psychiatric assessment. My GP kept asking me to come back every month only to say we had no reply. About a year ago I made a suicide attempt and my GP did an urgent referral. I got an appointment with a CPN who after a few sessions wrote that I was better and ready to return to work which I don't believe was true.

I tried for months to get a referral to the Psychiatrist only to be asked why I wanted this, what good would it do? I struggled on to try and insist and was even told at one stage that I had said I did not want to be referred which was not true at all. I have continued to try and get a referral and have not had calls returned (with dubious claims that the messages were not getting passed on which I do not believe as I always find the admin staff very helpful).

I have found some staff judgemental and at times unprofessional and uncaring. It is impossible to contact the team except by phone (and then you often do not get calls returned). You can not e mail (for security reasons? ? ? ) Of course this means you have no written record of messages left or anything else. I asked why they could not have a general e mail so patients could send e mails and was told this was not possible. I have had some pretty appalling things said to me which shocked, disturbed and upset me and have had things written about me which are simply not true