P-05-1078 Increase funding for mental health services and improve waiting times for people needing help in crisis. We need a change!, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 24.06.21

My comments on this matter still remain the same, 

My last petition their was a lot of talk about funding going into mental health services and improving these services, I am yet to see an improvement into mental health services and the waiting time decreased, as you are aware suicides are still on the increase and this is because people are waiting too long or asking for help and being either referred to a different service or on a waiting list. 

Their needs to be an overall improvement in all sectors of mental health, further training in areas such as A&E when I went to A&E and I presented with mental health issues I was simply told “we don’t have anyone here to deal with mental health” this is a very worrying thing especially to people who have come to seek medical help, I feel A&E doctors and nurses should be trained and should know

The warning signs of someone who is mentally suffering and I feel their should be an in team of mental health within A&E and not waiting for mental health nurses or doctors from outside the hospital. 

As of recently my anxiety has been very bad I was discharged from my local mental health team and referred to primary mental health, when I had an assessment with primary mental health I was told that depression and anxiety and my other complex needs need to be dealt with by my local mental health team so I re-referred myself just to have it declined. I also went to my doctors who said that they are seeing an increase in mental health teams in her words “passing the buck” to other mental health teams who can’t deal with some complex needs which is wasting time and resources I have again referred myself back to my mental health team just to be again declined and given leaflets this is where people are being let down past from pillar to post and feeling like no one is listening it’s very poor handling and communication especially if someone is suffering. 

Mental health services are struggling and especially with a pandemic doctors are still not seeing patients even if they are ill health or ill mentally which is effecting people by not being able to see their doctors face to face and it’s causing them worry and anxiety, I have tried to see my doctors on a number of times for my mental health but was told “ unless I’m an emergency no face to face” this is having a huge impact and when people are asking for help only having advice over the phone. 

The Welsh government needs to engage more with mental health services and listen to doctors and nurses and see where they also think should be an improvement in what sector of mental health. We need a better organised and well funded mental health sector and we also need it to be able to deal with our increasing population in the future we also need a good working and communication within mental health sectors, our future generation might need these services in the future and this is why we need to see an improvement I am still hearing a lot of stories about people suffering, being let down or simply not getting enough help. I find their is not enough up and running mental health services in each area of communities and where a few communities have to share one mental health building which puts pressure on the staff within the mental health team, more buildings need to be made available in other communities where their is more

Easy accessible for them. 

I’m not happy about leaflets being given out to people and told to research how to deal with depression and anxiety this is not

Beneficial to all people but might benefit certain individuals, we need more hands on help and engaging with patients and to establish the plan going forward. 

I am yet to see money being put into services and services improving and coping with waiting times and assessments, because of this pandemic most assessments are done over phone or video, again this is not always helpful for certain people who maybe deal with complex mental health needs, more face to face appointments need to become available. 

I am saddened that even though I have been referred to MIND which I know have an increasing waiting list that I am still being thrown pillar to post within the mental health side of things and no communication this causes certain individuals like myself to become lost in the system. 

I will keep fighting and I will keep pushing for better mental health services for our future generation and the current generation our elderly and our children I feel very passionate about mental health and how going forward their needs to be a massive change to our services. 

More awareness needs to be made of mental health. 

I hope my comments can be of help and I hope moving forward their can be some positive outcomes to come of this petition. 

Thank you.