APPENDIX 30
Letter submitted by an unnamed patient to the Chairman
of the Committee (MH 74)
I came across the Select Committee Debate on Mental
Health Services in the NHS, broadcast on BBC Parliament.
As I am suffering a mental health disorder,
this is a subject I feel strongly about.
I suffer from a compulsive/obsessive fear of
harming others. This causes panic attacks and in turn makes me
agoraphobic. I am suffering from depression and am at times suicidal.
My main observation, based on my experience,
is that the NHS provides two extremes of mental health care—hospital,
representing a high degree, and care in the community being unsatisfactorily
weak.
In my case, I went from hospital care—deemed
unsuitable for my condition—but which was 24 hour a day
care, to an average of one hour per week, mainly in the form of
cognitive behavioural training.
At the time of writing I am part way through
a two month period in which this limited care has not been made
available to me.
I have found that the NHS operate from a very
limited means of community care services, which are inflexible
to needs, and it is difficult to persuade staff that you need
more than minimum care. I am convinced that underfunding plays
a part and I believe that this plays a role in the failure/inability
to recognise the gravity of my problem.
I recognise my own problem and I feel alienated
by being unable to depend on the NHS for satisfactory care. Mental
illness is distressing and I feel minded to turn away from all
NHS support, as I find myself becoming increasingly angry that
the NHS is providing the bare minimum help.
I hope that the Committee are open to the constructive
opinion of a mental health service user, as I feel that it is
a source of expertise than can easily be overlooked. I would welcome
any feedback you can give.
26 March 2000
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