To ask how long it usually takes to get a new mental health worker

[Sevendaysaweek]

Dn nurse from her mental health team left suddenly last week. She’s waiting for a new one. How long will this take as she is really struggling. She’s under adult mental health services as she’s 19.

So it should technically be before someone leaves but it depends on her needs and also her risk as risk is always prioritised. If you’ve heard nothing contact them daily until you know. If there are more people to allocate than staff and the staff member left suddenly it means the team will be covering an extra caseload and might not even allocate as might be awaiting a replacement and hold the persons caseload for the person on duty to follow up as and when things arise. Keep asking.

She’s classed as moderate risk usually so not very high but not low either. Yes it was very sudden dn spoke to her the week before last arranged an appointment with her for this coming Friday and then found out from another one of patients. That she had left Friday.

Oh no that’s so hard not to have any transition. Keep following it up as services are so stretched it’s easy for things to slip.

Yes she was very upset that she didn’t tell her.

Make sure you have all the in hours and out of hours contact numbers, and ring to update the team on any changes or concerns. Also ring and ask them when the worker will be allocated. See your GP in the interim whenever needed or for advice.

Thank you we do have all the number luckily.

I’m not really sure with a mental health nurse but both my psychiatrist and care co ordinator left over l lock Down and have not been replaced I have bipolar 1 and have a young child and have usually received great amount of help and am closely monitored yet I haven’t seen anyone since March and from what I understand from friends I am in one of the better London boroughs for Mh this time last year I was a day patient at a mh hospital I feel for anyone with mh problems as the help really isn’t there.