re. help Alastair Campbell write his speech on mental health cuts for the RCN

Erme

See below

Alastair Campbell
blog - Help write my speech for RCN conference with egs of frontline cuts to mental health services http://www.alastaircampbell.org/

Taken (without permission) from Mr. C's facebook page...He has real voice and might be able to help your voice be heard...

Blessings....Just did a forum search and found you guys.....nice to meet folk...

E

when_will_it_end

i have just read a reply from some one who has just been transfered from child to adult MH sevices

my DD will be in the same position in 6 months time

in a matter of days between her going from 17 to 18 she will loes so much support, but nothing about her MH will have changed so dramaticaly over them few days to justify the loss

with even more cuts coming in i have a feeling that getting her any kind of help is going to be an even bigger battle that it was a few years ago and she had age on her side

i dread to think how many people turning 18 this will effect never mind those already adults now finding it hard to get support

diolch

when_will_it_end wrote: »

i have just read a reply from some one who has just been transfered from child to adult MH sevices

my DD will be in the same position in 6 months time

in a matter of days between her going from 17 to 18 she will loes so much support, but nothing about her MH will have changed so dramaticaly over them few days to justify the loss

with even more cuts coming in i have a feeling that getting her any kind of help is going to be an even bigger battle that it was a few years ago and she had age on her side

i dread to think how many people turning 18 this will effect never mind those already adults now finding it hard to get support

Our Mental Health Day Service has closed. It was a godsend. Activities, gym, gardening etc. plus all the help was on hand OT's, CPN, as well as the Psych's. It was a purpose built addition to our hospital, built about 10 years ago. Now it is to become a Walk In Centre and Day Hospital. All of the patients have no where to go apart from MIND. And to see your Consultant you now have to travel 20 miles to another hospital.

They have closed the hospital next door, huge place, Victorian and the NHS have tried to sell it for land value. But because it was paid for by the local people all those years ago, the town people kicked up a fuss and said that they can't sell what doesn't belong to them! So it's in mothballs, just waiting for it to fall apart over time, then they will get their way and demolish it!

Erme

Do you have MH probs Diolch or am I misreading it here? Ours closed last August and it's tough but you adapt...We now have an outreach service doing the W.R.A.P and other recovery tools...but you can only be on their books for 18 months. ...Day service wise I go to Starbucks etc....I can get coffee and a refill there for 75p and try and get out every day and link up with friends off FB...

There is life after day care closing but it takes a while to get used to...what about volunteering?

E

diolch

Erme wrote: »

Do you have MH probs Diolch or am I misreading it here? Ours closed last August and it's tough but you adapt...We now have an outreach service doing the W.R.A.P and other recovery tools...but you can only be on their books for 18 months. ...Day service wise I go to Starbucks etc....I can get coffee and a refill there for 75p and try and get out every day and link up with friends off FB...

There is life after day care closing but it takes a while to get used to...what about volunteering?

E

No, You are right in your assumptions. I have been told that something similar will be operating here, but with the cuts who knows. All or most of the OT's have been made redundant and all but one CPN have left to do other things.
What will happen I don't know, but we had our first suicide last week when a guy couldn't handle not being able to have the close support anymore, jumped into the stairwell, four floors up where he lived.

I do dispair and as you say you have to find other avenues. At the moment I am fighting the urge to give in and go back to alcohol. I won't, but the thoughts are there.

Everybody is spread around and I do miss the daily contact.

when_will_it_end

TBH i never even thought about all this untill my daughters psyc mentioned she could only see her for the next six months an then she will be passed over, when i asked to she just said the adult psyc, im so scared that this will nock her back ten fold

she has just started a group session with other children her age, i know she could not cope in an adult meeting she would feel way out of her depth

diolch i hope you can find a way to keep moving forward x

Erme

diolch wrote: »

No, You are right in your assumptions. I have been told that something similar will be operating here, but with the cuts who knows. All or most of the OT's have been made redundant and all but one CPN have left to do other things.
What will happen I don't know, but we had our first suicide last week when a guy couldn't handle not being able to have the close support anymore, jumped into the stairwell, four floors up where he lived.

I do dispair and as you say you have to find other avenues. At the moment I am fighting the urge to give in and go back to alcohol. I won't, but the thoughts are there.

Everybody is spread around and I do miss the daily contact.

We've had 30+ in the last year folk that are known to the services.....It's life. Just don't become a statistic....coffee is WAY better than alcohol. Check out the Wellness Recovery Action Plan if you can get it online...It's very good and helps me and remember

It's not going down that'a the crime but staying down...

when_will_it_end wrote: »

TBH i never even thought about all this untill my daughters psyc mentioned she could only see her for the next six months an then she will be passed over, when i asked to she just said the adult psyc, im so scared that this will nock her back ten fold

she has just started a group session with other children her age, i know she could not cope in an adult meeting she would feel way out of her depth

diolch i hope you can find a way to keep moving forward x

Och I was flung into adult services aged 16 20 years ago. Try not to worry about it. There's bound to be some young folk around. Maybe students, maybe early twenties whom she can relate to. Please try not to worry.... So long as she has you and a support network outside of psychiatry...recovery is not just about what the medics can do for you...

Hugs

E