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Originally Posted by SoupDragon
Sorry for the rant - I think the sooner the UK goes fully private, then more people will have equal access to health services - the NHS used to be an excellent service (I used to work in it), but now it is about tick boxes and statistics not about individual patient care.
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Thank you, I agree about privatisation leveling the playing field. Right now the money is just being wasted in bureaucracy, there are people making policies, writing care pathways, choosing wallpaper, microwaving soup in a cardiology clinic and causing all the equipment to crash, doing anything and everything other than ensuring people get treated. If GPs were totally free to purchase the services from the best provider rather than the local hospital then we would be getting somewhere. I know if waiting lists are too long for physical conditions GPs can use private services, so why not for mental health?
This also struck a chord with me:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoupDragon
I got referred to secondary care as I was having sui thoughts and the medication that was tried by my GP just made things worse. I saw someone (not sure of their backgrgound) for an assessment.
She asked about sui thoughts and I told her (included some planning), however as I wasn't specific enough, her advice was to stop seeing my long term therapist, see an NHS counsellor instead (who may be a trainee) and stop thinking so much!!!
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In March, I did manage to get a CMHT assessment by a nurse (not a nurse practitioner so not qualified to prescribe or review meds), my doc had requested a pdoc appt to review my meds. The nurse said, if the meds aren't working stop taking them!!!!! Apparently, pdoc's don't see anyone in clinic for a med review, it isn't their job!!!! Whose freaking job is it then, the tooth fairy? I had to fill in a questionnaire to score my mood at the start of the appointment and again at the end, as this marked the start and end of my course of treatment, how exactly was I supposed to get better in 1 hour? I didn't get worse either because at the start I was already at the worst possible level based on the lame questions being asked. It wasn't even a proper depression screening test, it was something cobbled together on the back of a fag packet, by the cleaner probably, this was all about them meeting targets and had nothing to do with getting me the right treatment.
Anyhow, I agreed to play their game and am still waiting for my CBT. The waiting list is a minimum of three months but if during that time, anyone who ticks more boxes than me comes along they get to jump the queue, so it is possible that I'll never reach the top of the waiting list and I think after three months they'll just bump me down to the bottom anyway.
Angry just doesn't begin to express how I feel. I know I'm being my own worst enemy with this, but I just can't let go of the hurt all this caused.
Anyone who wants to rant about the inadequacies of their own system or who has experience of defying the odds and getting the right help, please continue to add your thoughts, all perspectives are welcome, unless you are that freaking nurse who told me I didn't need meds, you'd be hollering for mercy and every drug known to pharma (legal or otherwise) after just one hour in my head.