Service users opinions on how they have been affected by changes to services

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Service users opinions on how they have been
affected by changes to services

• Suzanne Nash
• Viewpoint

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Have services changed?
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In what ways have services changed for the worse?

• CMHTs and CSTs have become more and more
  under-staffed
• e.g. The Bridge, Jubilee Rd, Handside Hall, Holly
  Lodge

The Bridge, CMHT, Welwyn Garden City
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How else have services changed for the worse?

• Coffee mornings/meeting places cut
• e.g. The Bridge, Jubilee Rd, Foresters Hall
• Gaps in support or loss of it altogether
• Changes in, or loss of, psychiatrists
• Loss of staff, i.e. not being replaced
• Loss of day hospitals
• e.g. Fairfield, Oxford House

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How else have services changed for the worse?

• Relocation of services
• e.g. Harlow and Chase Farm to QE2, St Michaels
  House from Letchworth to Hitchin
• Loss of drop-ins
• e.g. Mind in South-West Herts

St Michaels House, Letchworth
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How else have services changed for the worse?

• Lower frequency of out-patient appointments
• e.g. Welwyn Garden City Borehamwood
• Loss of professional reps. at groups
• Loss of art therapy
• Closure of Wilbury Ward, Lister
• CPAs not being held properly

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What do service users feel about these changes?

• Losing the relationships I had with them
  (support staff who were left and not replaced)
  has been very distressing
• Had a gap without anything for a month or so,
  now only have short-term CBT. When that ends Ill
  be on my own.
• I had a period of psychosis triggered by the
  loss of art therapy and class friends
• Lots of the groups have been stopping or
  reducing...makes me feel more isolated.
• Fairfield day hospital closed. Now what am I
  going to do?

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Have there been positive changes?

• Very good support from GPs
• e.g. in North Herts and Tring
• Good support from CMHTs
• e.g. Edinburgh House and The Bridge

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Have there been any other positive changes?

• Support from local Mind groups
• e.g. Mind in Dacorum
• Very good support from CAT teams
• Re-opening of early intervention in psychosis
• Service user and carer involvement has increased

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What have service users said about positive
changes?

• Having CAT team in Watford is a definite
  improvement to the services
• Support (of early intervention in psychosis) is
  excellent and frequent
• Edinburgh House seems to run more efficiently
  these days
• My previous experience of the system prior to
  the CAT team was it was less organised, still
  good but less responsive..

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What alternative sources of support have people
sought?

• 16 - Support groups e.g. Mind in Dacorum,
  Lighthouse Club Waltham Abbey, Guideposts
  Watford.
• 4 - still looking/have not found
• 4 - Yoga, meditation, Tai Chi
• 4 - Physical exercise

Henry Smith House, Watford
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What other alternative sources of support have
people found?

• 3 - Samaritans
• 3 - GP
• 4 - Self help groups
• 6 - Counselling
• 3 - Viewpoint
• 3 Complementary medicine

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What additional alternative support would people
like?

• CBT
• Counselling
• Financial help and advice
• Training facility to help people back into
  employment
• More day centre services in Bishops Stortford

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What have service users said about alternative
support?

• Used Living Room, Stevenageand that helped
  wonders. Im now sober.
• I really dont know where to look
• I feel I have no need to look elsewhere, as the
  services I receive couldnt be better.
• Mind in Hemelvery good, better than mental
  health services
• I have tried (to look for alternative support)
  and no-one gives a damn
• I am looking into going on a Learn Direct
  computer course. I dont know what I will do
  really, when that finishes

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How easy is it to obtain help in a crisis?
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What do people think of the crisis help received?
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What types of help have people used when in
crisis?

• 21 - CAT teams
• 12 - CPN
• 9 - CMHT
• 15 - GP
• 9 - Psychiatrist
• 6 - AE
• Other Counsellor, NHS Direct, Samaritans,
  Emergency access centre, out-of-hours, CST,
  support worker, CAB, family friends.

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What have service users said about crisis help
received?

• Not easywhen I do get help which is like
  gold-dust it is very good
• You cannot get any help at all, whether you are
  a service user or a carer
• excellentMy consultant spent one hour seeing
  mefollow-up excellent as well
• The CMHT and CAB were uselessCST at Silver
  Birch have been wonderful
• find it extremely difficult to cope, help
  received is only just adequate
• Easy to get help, though kept waiting ages at
  AE

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What are peoples recent experiences of
in-patient care?
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What were the reasons for the negative
experiences?

• 36 - dissatisfaction with staff (e.g. at St
  Julians and Albany Lodge)
• 9 - too regimented (e.g. at Abbey PICU and
  Lister Mental Health Unit)
• 9 - a need for more activities
• Other comments not enough prevention of
  absconding, lack of follow-up after discharge,
  difficulty in obtaining personal items on the
  ward, dirty environment, vegetarian food
  difficult to obtain.

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What were the reasons for the positive
experiences?

• Approachable staff
• Excellent support
• Very good care at Shrodells
• Food very good
• Clean and modern environment

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What have service users said about their
in-patient care?

• St Julians was a terrible place with lazy, bored
  staff who just wanted to ignore patients and
  mostly did!
• Very goodexcellent support from nursesno
  complaints at all
• Awful never want to be in that situation
  again!
• it was a place of rest and a much needed break
• Look back fondly on hospital in places because
  of some of the people I met
• Horrendous I would never set foot in one
  again!
• First class. The food was superb

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The End

• Suzanne Nash, Viewpoint
• www.hertsviewpoint.co.uk
• 01707 328014