"Worth The Expense If You Want To Be Involved In..."

What I liked

I opted to go private for mental health care in 2009 because of the endless changing of NHS Psychiatrists and fill-in’s I kept seeing. I think I saw an NHS Consultant once in my hometown since I found myself battling the NHS mental health field, I was frustrated and annoyed so choose to pay private and go to The Priory in Altrincham where I felt I could finally have some control over my own care.

I narrowed down my choice of consultants to two, but in the end settled for one that a friend was under and from day one, I was treated with respect and kept in control over the choices in my mental health. Both the consultant and admin staff I saw where professional and always helpful. I spent about 18 months under their care before it was agreed that I would be better with the NHS due to being able to access their specific psychological therapies and by mutual agreement, I left the care of the consultant I was under.

12 months later after being promised by the NHS I would keep the same psychiatrist, it has changed twice already, and I have been seen twice in a year, once by the psychiatrist I was suppose to stay with, by a new one and my next appointment is scheduled for Feb 2012 with another new one. If I had control over my care and I feel I do not with accessing therapy via the NHS, I would return to the consultant I saw and put them back in charge of my care, because quite frankly the NHS is still a shambles!

What could be improved

Nothing, during my time as an outpatient here, my consultant discussed with people in the NHS my care, all in all a great service.