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"Phoenix wing st. anne's hospital"

About: Central And North West London NHS Foundation Trust / Eating disorders

(as the patient),

This is the worst hospital I have ever experienced. To begin with the building itself is out of the way and I found it very hard to get to. The building is very old, feels uncared for and I found it a very depressive place to be.

Since I have been referred 5 years ago, in my opinion I have experienced multiple examples of incompetence in regards to the organisation, inconsistency in care, about 9 cancellations within 6 months, 5 years on the waiting list for psychological therapy and I was only allowed on the waiting list after I cancelled my privately funded therapist.

How can you expect me to survive a 5 year + waiting list (am still not receiving help now) without any help?

I have seen 4 different doctors in that time, as they only seem to have locums. They all have a different way of working and they all give me a different diagnosis and treatment plan. I saw one doctor who said they had:

1. Put me on the waiting list in 2011, I found out in August that they had never actually done this. They then put me on the waiting list in September. Now I am still on it, still waiting. I was dropped down the waiting list as they felt my BMI was high enough and others needed it more.

2. They decided I needed to be signed up for a 6 week program as an inpatient. I was contacted by the team and asked to come in and discuss my start date (they had never once discussed this with me, so when I received the call I was stunned and I asked who had referrred me for this. The next day they decided I should see a different doctor and they said that I wasn't suitable for that program but that they wanted to wait and see how we would get on first before they decided what to do. I then saw this doctor a few times, and they then left as well. I asked the doctor to advise about what to do about my meds, as I felt they were not working. Their answer was that I should decide that for myself. Are they not the medical professional? They decided I needed dietetic help, so saw the dieticians twice (after another 3 cancellations by them and a wait for about 3 months). These were lovely, but I found them to be totally useless. Wrote an official letter of complaint, but no change whatsoever as far as I'm aware!

The liaison nurses are very good though - professional, reliable, they listen and act when you ask them something. Amazing! In my experience, they are the only ones that keep this service running at a professional level.

I really have found this whole experience awful. I am worse than ever before, very stressed, and I think this is directly because of the treatment I received at this hospital. I understand that they all have money issues, but I don't think most of the worst problems require money to make a hospital for mental health a brighter and more positive place to be.

I am truly shocked and feel sad that I was referred here and not somewhere else!

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