"Psychiatric Treatment in Sheffield"

After a number of frustrated attempts to see my psychiatrist in Sheffield (no appointments available until November, including a faxed letter from my GP to my psychiatrist for urgent assessment,) a week later my GP recommended seeing a crisis team at 9.00 in the morning. I returned home and at about 3.00pm a social worker visited me at home. She also felt that the crisis team was the most appropriate service and contacted them. I was then told that because they were already busy, my case would be referred to the 8.00pm shift. I think that all these lengthy waits were unacceptable.

However, once the crisis team did arrive, (a phone call from them at 8pm and arrival at home at about 9pm, they were absolutely brilliant in handling both me as a person and my current situation. I was admitted to Burbage ward at the Michael Carlisle Centre within an hour, where the staff were both patient, helpful, and not often found on psychiatric wards in my experience, accessible. As a result of this my recovery has been much quicker and I'll be discharged today after 6days in hospital and 4 on home leave.

So full marks to the Trust that manged probably to save my life in a crisis, and no marks for responding to me when my health deteriorated and I was seeking help to avoid that crisis.