Somerset Mental Health service rated “Good”
Th CQC have published a report today based on their latest review of mental health services in Somerset.
The last time a review was completed, mental health services had their own trust. Today that trust is part of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
The review looked at five mental health core services:
• Long stay/rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults
• Child and adolescent mental health wards
• Mental health crisis services and health based places of safety
• Community-based mental health services for older people
• Specialist community mental health services for children and young people
The review found the service to be “Good” in all areas except being “Safe”. This was rated Requires Improvement”.
The CEO of the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust was pleased with the result. He said: “The trust’s overall rating remains good. We are rated outstanding for caring, good for effectiveness, responsiveness and the well-led domain, and requires improvement for safety. The CQC has rated our community mental health services for children and young people (CAMHS) as outstanding and our community end of life services and our acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care unit as good overall.”
This cannot be true!!
As a recent user of the community service in Wells it was a complete nightmare for someone struggling with depression & anxiety. Completely broken admin/organisation. Referral lost. Website with broken links that go nowhere. Unanswered phones & email when my designated contact was on holiday (quite frequently). No psychiatrists or psychologists available. After 6 months waiting I had to pay (as a pensioner) for recommended therapy (offered undetermined months to a year wait on NHS & threat of withdrawal of all NHS help IF I went privately). After 2 psychiatrists left – leaving no psychiatrist at all for a period, there is now only one psychiatrist for all Wells & Frome areas – who is, by the way, wonderful. Everything prior to my meeting with him (7 months) was box ticking – presumably to get through the NHS review. At my meeting the poor man (new to Somerset) was left to find the GP addresses on sheets of paper while 2 nurses looked on, not helping him – in my very poor state I had to Google it for him. I also had to sort out getting my prescription to my GP. I trust he is now getting better support. He told me he has ‘many bosses’ looking at the nurses. When you are mentally ill you need the phone answered & genuine help at the end of a website link. This simply does not happen. All show & no substance. I would love to help regarding my experience if anyone from NHS Foundation Trust or CQC want to ask.