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Health warning - can severely affect your...

Story from nhs.uk

"Health warning - can severely affect your..."

About: Springfield University Hospital (London)

My daughter was referred here with low weight. They diagnosed her with anorexia. Beware if you have same. When they tell you the diagnosis they utterly lack any diplomacy or compassions. Be prepared to be given a massive life threatening problem with no offers of solution. Eventually they said ‘food is the medicine’ and gave us a very ambiguously, very poorly laid out diet plan. They did not discuss it.

We have been going back for 10 weeks now. We have had no advice on diet. No dose.

We have asked to see a dietitian on each occasion but have yet to see one. . We have been given no nutritional advice - though that is the medicine - incredibly team we see say it’s not their area. They have offered nothing else. There has been no discussion with my daughter about anything to do with the condition, how she feels, what may have brought it on, any reassurance about the symptoms. After 10 hours they know nothing about her. If they know her name it’s only because it’s on their records!

No discussion about how much to eat. We have been provided with no education and no help.

Worse, the sessions are very negative, utterly unhelpful and unprofessionally conducted. This team from the start, seem to want you to know thy have ‘power. . They batter you down into submission. We expected that W professional, psychiatrist or similar to talk to my daughter. You have to be mentally very strong to retain any sense of self. We are paying for counselling outside the service so we have the courage and mental capacity to withstand the weekly attack on self. Our GP is shocked. I am utterly perplexed by the service on offer. It’s very poor use of NHS resource and their approach has frankly very nearly destroyed us.

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Responses

Response from Engagement and Experience Co-ordinator, South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust 5 years ago
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

Submitted on 08/04/2019 at 09:51
Published on Care Opinion at 10:14

My name is Farai and I am the Experience & Engagement Co-ordinator for the Trust. I am sorry that you are not having a very good experience with out services. I spoke to the Eating Disorders service and they expressed their apologies but wanted me to add the following regarding the services.

South London West & St Georges NHS Trust provides a comprehensive range of eating disorder services for children, young people and adults. These include inpatients and outpatient/community teams. All young people and patients are seen by highly specialised eating disordered trained staff.

Following referral and assessment, if accepted for treatment, a case coordinator is allocated. A comprehensive assessment with care plan is agreed with patients with a partnership approach which is sensitive to the identified needs including management of diet. Carers and/or parents are closely involved in the care planning. Family treatment is very focussed on the details of food and eating, and nutritional advice is given as part of family sessions and in our psychoeducational parents’ group

All treatments offered follow NICE guidelines of evidence based practice. Eating Disorder treatment can be emotionally challenging and the team strive to maintain a compassionate stance at all times during the recovery process. All staff encouraged young people and patients to raise any issues about the treatment and service delivery with them. The teams continues to strife for excellence and the Trust is recognised for their expertise in this field.

Once again I am truly sorry for the experience you have had with one of our services. If you would like to make a formal complaint please contact our PALS Team on 020 3513 6150 or email complaints@swlstg.nhs.uk


Kind regards

Farai

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