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Made to feel I was just another assessment

Posted By RJN

"Made to feel I was just another assessment"

About: Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust / Adult mental health

(as a service user),

Self referral to Suffolk Wellbeing as desperate due to severe anxiety since July that was making my life impossible. Contacted fairly promptly and a telephone assessment arranged.

Spoke to a wellbeing practitioner, who sounded as if they was reading from a script and who was clearly attempting to be empathetic in tone, but came across as condescending, uninterested, patronising and that they were just going through the assessment questions to get it done and move onto the next one. Told me my questionnaire scores indicated moderate depression and severe anxiety and then told me that Suffolk Wellbeing are only commissioned to offer Level 2 support (classes or online courses) in the first instance so offered me a 'Stress control' course via webinar.

My gut reaction is you've got to be kidding, but by this point I could see that despite the indications that my anxiety was severe this was the only help I could have. As a health professional myself I have never felt less cared for.

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Responses

Response from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust 4 years ago
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 18/09/2019 at 14:42
Published on nhs.uk at 16:07

Many thanks for your feedback, I am sorry to hear that your experience of Wellbeing felt impersonal and that the Therapist sounded to lack sincere regard for the difficulties that you are experiencing.

The staff team do have areas of focus that they are required to cover within the assessment. The assessment is structured to ensure a comprehensive understanding of need is obtained, ensuring patient safety and allocation of appropriate treatment packages. We fully accept that the delivery of this can vary, I am sorry that your experience felt script like, this is not what is encouraged.

Suffolk Wellbeing are commissioned to offer step 2 and step 3 support, treatment packages are suggested in keeping with symptoms described and NICE guidelines. I hope that your therapist explained that the step 2 offers many a really helpful insight into commonly experienced symptoms, and their associated management which can commonly achieve symptom relief for many. For others, step 2 interventions can help base the start of step 3 work, maximising the service offer.

The details you have offered in this feedback lead me to believe that you are in contact with the Team Lead about your experience. If this is not the case, please do get in touch with the service directly.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, I sincerely hope that your service experience improves and would be grateful of an update when your treatment with the service is completed.

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