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Care Opinion

Nottingham City Crisis Team

Posted By AnIndividual

"Nottingham City Crisis Team"

About: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust / Adult Mental Health Services - Community (City)

(as a service user),

I tried many times to contact Crisis Team out of hours via text as I have ASD and tourette's syndrome and struggle to use the phone. A member of the team phoned me but did not introduce himself, his role or that he was calling from the crisis team. This is not only basic phone ettiquette but really important information for service users.

As he could not see I was having tics he tried to finish my sentences for me, which was very difficult so I hung up.

Over the next week I contacted crisis team twice by text to no response and eventually called back. I was told I should not be contacting during working hours and that the reason my texts hadn't been responded to was 'bad phone signal'. I was also given this excuse in 2012. If it has been a problem for this long why has it not been rectified? Additionally I just don't believe where they are is a mobile blackspot!

Unfortunately I then ended up in QMC due to my crisis situation.

I think the crisis team need better methods of communicating with those who cannot express themselves on the phone. I think they need to learn more about ASD and how ASD and MH interact. For instance it is common for us to take longer to answer questions because of processing, lack of eye contact isn't a sign of poor MH, that physical touch is generally not welcome, open ended questions are often difficult and that the patterns and reasons behind intrusive thoughts might be entirely different from someone without ASD.

I'm still seeing crisis team and I hope it gets better but so far I feel like I don't fit their box and they are unable to adapt to me. I also don't fit into the intellectual disabilities box and therefore I feel very lost in a crisis and that it should not take so much effort over many days to be seen. It was only due to other professionals that I even got a response a most of my contact had not even been logged on the system.

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Responses

Response from Ruth Gadd, Operational Manager-Mid-Notts and Bassetlaw, Millbrook Mental Health Unit, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 6 years ago
Ruth Gadd
Operational Manager-Mid-Notts and Bassetlaw, Millbrook Mental Health Unit,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 11/05/2017 at 15:06
Published on Care Opinion at 16:22

Dear AnIndividual

Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience with Nottingham City Crisis Team.

It is expected that all team members intoduce themselves at every contact so I can only apologise that this was not your experience.

Whilst I acknowledge the impact from the lack of response to your texts, I can confirm that we do experience mobile blackspots within our building so we would always recommend that people telephone as well as text where possible. It is regrettable that you were left in a position where you felt you had to attend ED. Perhaps if we had been able to respond, this could have been avoided, I apologise for this as the emergency department is not the right environment for people experincing a mental health crisis.

I am pleased you continue to be supported by the crisis team and was wondering if you may be interested in talking with some members of the team to help with our knowledge and understanding of the difficulties you have experienced when trying to seek help in a crisis and in particular how we can communicate more effectively.

I would also like to ask if you have a crisis care plan in place? This would support you and enable the crisis team to respond with appropriate support when you ring.

Again, I would like to thank you for sharing your experience and invite you to contact me should you wish to do so. My contact details are below;

Kind Regards

Ruth

Ruth Gadd-Service Manager (Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team)
Highbury Hospital
Bulwell
Nottingham
NG6 9DR
Tel 0115 9691300 ex 12318
Mobile 07770492588
email: ruth.gadd@nottshc.nhs.uk

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Update posted by AnIndividual (a service user)

Hi

In my experience of contacting crisis team over the past 5 years the blackspots have been an issue. Given you are a CRISIS service I strongly feel this is something Notts Healthcare should be investing in to overcome. Most charities use text services that don't go to a physical phone and are integrated to their computer system. It is cost saving in the long term if it avoids general or psychiatric admissions.

I'm making a crisis plan currently.

With regards to understanding ASD more I'd be happy to talk about the difficulties associated with it however I think a really efficient way would be to speak to NCAS and have a better mutual understanding of how both services work. It is only across the car park! Ulitmately I can only reflect my experience as someone on the spectrum and everyone, as I'm sure you know, is different. Additionally lots of people without a diagnosis also can't use the phone I.e. due to tourettes, stammer, anxiety or because they have an undiagnosed condition.

Response from Ruth Gadd, Operational Manager-Mid-Notts and Bassetlaw, Millbrook Mental Health Unit, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 6 years ago
Ruth Gadd
Operational Manager-Mid-Notts and Bassetlaw, Millbrook Mental Health Unit,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 15/05/2017 at 12:15
Published on Care Opinion at 12:26

Dear AnIndividual

Thank you for response. I absolutely agree with what you are saying about the importance of patients being able to text as opposed to calling in and appreciate your advice, in particular about how most charities use text services that are integrated to the computer system. I will discuss this with the Trust's IT department to see if this is something that we could consider, as well as asking them to look in to the current set up and phone we use for texts.

Thank you for suggesting contacting the NCAS service, I will definately consider this for key members of the team and as you also highlight help both teams towards gaining a mutual understanding about how both services work.

I am pleased to hear you are making a crisis plan.

Thank you again for taking the time to respond.

Kind regards


Ruth
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