GP complaint

[setsailsam]

AIBU with this complaint?

In September 2022, I had a bereavement. My GP said to self refer to counselling, which I did. Had bereavement-focussed counselling with healthy minds, who advised I contact my GP for further sessions/benefit.

In April 2023: dealing with separate stress related to work. I spoke to a different GP about mental health support, wanting a referral for CBT or other therapy. They said I need an appointment with their in-house mental health practitioner who will refer me. I was told he would get in touch with me within a week.

To date, he has never been in touch! I have chased this up & even raised a complaint in September but the practice hasn’t replied. So meanwhile I have had no support - things are just building up and I have no real coping mechanisms.

I tried to speak to a GP. I always get the same rude, dismissive lady who outright says “the NHS is underfunded”, “I can’t refer you, my colleague has to do it”, “ I have no way to refer you to counselling” “you need to self refer”. I can’t self refer as healthy minds won’t allow me to have another set of sessions as yet even though it’s different issue, plus her colleague has never spoken to me to refer me himself. So I find this GP patronising and unhelpful because I’ve followed her suggestions to no avail? Aibu to complain again (escalated as no response the last time?)

You've raised a complaint and had no response? Yes, go higher - that's unacceptable!

The actual GP I spoke to seems to think I’m whinging about business as usual though. I know the NHS has massive waiting lists but to just never refer me at all - is that normal?

I'd make it very clear to that GP - "I'm not complaining about NHS business as usual. I'm complaining specifically about you and your lack of action."

I had bereavement counselling with a similar service and the wait period between re referring is 12 weeks. Are you sure nearly 18 months on you can't access it again?

How did you complain, was it verbally or in writing? If verbally. You need to write to the practice manager and formally complain. If you did put it in writing then I would look at the PCT guidelines for raising a grievance!!

Hope you are ok!!

Would it help to talk here about what is up? Maybe some of the ladies here can suggest some coping mechanisms in the short term.

From what you’ve said, unless I’m misreading this, the GP can’t refer you - the referral has to come from her colleague who is the mental health practitioner.

It therefore doesn’t sound like your complaint is for the GP, it’s the mental health practitioner who has not yet been in touch with you. This could be because of their waiting list, or it could be a mistake. I'd get to the bottom of that and complain about the MH practitioner, if it comes to that. Not the GP as it sounds like she has done her job and can’t take this any further within the remit of her role.

@Username123343 I feel there’s 2 aspects of complaint:

-the lack of action from the mental health practitioner (if he even exists at this point!)

-Then also this GP? She is rude and doesn’t listen to me, doesn’t explain things, there’s been other things that required unnecessary appts to follow up as she said she would do something but didn’t. I don’t really believe she cannot refer me at all for mental health support as that’s within the scope of a GP’s remit. This practice may have a side implementation of a trial mental health practitioner, but it clearly isn’t working, so what’s the alternative after 8 months? I feel like I’m going around in circles with her. The other GPs are fine but I seem to constantly get appointments with her as of late.

It’s possibly that to cut the influx of patients into your local over-stretched MH services, they have employed a MH practitioner in the surgery to triage people and take the pressure off the MH team and reduce the waiting lists etc. There’s something similar at my local surgery. So it’s possible that in that that sort of set up, the GPs would no longer directly refer to
the MH team. So it’s plausible to me.

Definitely complain about the rudeness and the failure to refer to stuff in the past. But this GP is no doubt over worked and burnt out so possibly nothing will come of your complaint but at least you’ll feel you’ve used your voice, which is always beneficial I think.

Finally, as you said, you’ve been waiting 8 months for support with your work stress. There is free support available online. I like the Mind website - there are lots of resources to help, here’s the A-Z:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Theres one on stress and there’s a couple on workplace stuff.

I also find apps useful and I use the Headspace app, which is pricey and I’m sure there are free ones, but I notice they have a free trial period so you could give it a whirl.

Headspace app