CAMHS referal

[coff33pot]

Ok just come off phone from docs surgery gutted. All proceedures taking too long at school to get my son help. He is 5. EP was going to refer him to CAMHS despite being in the middle of assessment but turns out she couldnt due to them needing to see full assessment first. So I went to GP two weeks ago and he agreed to refer to pead. Over the moon that I got pead appointment already for 2nd March.

NOW I just got phone call from surgery to say that pead has cancelled appointment saying it is not her he should see and is making a referal to CAMHS? I asked how long that will take as I seem to be going around in circles and her answer was oh I dont know I just thought I would ring to ask if you had any letters for pead and to tell you straight away that it was cancelled to save you the trip :(

I got a horrible feeling they (camhs) will wait for this EP report. I am also gutted because the pead appointment was the day befoe the EP comes to school on the 3rd so I could tell her what the pead said to add to her report.................I want to scream loud right now.

Could you ask to speak to the paed directly explaining urgency/need to be seen promptly because of the assessment process at school? If they won't agree, you could ask that they liaise with camhs on your behalf and ask them to see you asap. If they both continue to give you the run-around, Pals are useful in giving support. www.pals.nhs.uk/

thats what i did i told the paed over phone (she had met my DS before though) she sent ref to CAMHS but that was before he ever met the EP so seems thay all do things differently depends where you live , CAMHS are very slow i think in most areas as its done on a priority basis and they do have some serious cases obviously to deal with ,my DS was self harming and still had to wait 16 weeks to be seen they just gave me a number to report changes/anything bad that happens on for what thats worth bt they get a lot worse cases than that scary isnt it

Thanks for posting. I havent even met this pead yet. Got 3 had phone call telling me about appointment and 3 letters (got one yesterday!) But no names of the pead on them. Just development and disability department. Rang hospital and no one has got back to me yet. Just disapointed I suppose as was beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I dont doubt there are worst cases than me and there must be hundreds of kiddies out there needing help and stuck waiting. DS has just started to bite his arms instead of running away at school. This is a new thing. I am just terrified he will get worse and of course I dont want that for him. :(

Never mind its just a down day I suppose as I built up the courage and told my parents that it was possible that DS might have asd/as. As they live abroad part of year it was on msn and of course you get the "no wonder you are worried with all ppl telling you something is wrong" and "Dad said he is fine and will grow out of it" followed by "time to go make a cup of tea speak soon"

My inlaws just dont want to know him apart from chucking him sweets and we have had a right row as I have put my foot down on them taking DD out for treats if they cant take DS as it hurts to see him left on the sofa. And then he plays up big time because he is left behind. They take dd everywhere and I dont want to begruge her that but it is just so not fair when my sis in law goes and she is more than capable of handling him it just ruins there shopping style.

Sorry I am so negative at the mo. Isnt it amazing you can tell anyone else to cheer up but you are unable to give yourself a kick up the ass :)

dont worry (easier said than done i now) coff33pot im didn't mean to say your case or mine not important because they deffinately are just as it was explained to me they litterally have teens esp attempting suicide (my son wasnt deamed serious either ) although he had been trying to run away put his head under water and put a cord around his neck and he was biting too i dont know how they can say on phone to me that there are worse cases really but thats what they say when ever i ring, really our DC should prob in ideal world have different clinic to these teens i was told after 10 weeks that they thought they might be able to get me in sooner as like you i was (still am) worried sick but no he was still made to wait the minimum 16 weeks it mentioned in my original letter, ridiculous isnt it, keeping an eye on them is exhausting i thought was bad enough before but this really is awful makes you want to cry hearing my DS say he hates living what a place to be at 10. my relatives are the same oh hes just naughty or he will be ok when he most definately will not, i totally understand this negative feeling my sister bringing DS home because he fidgeted too much and kicked as his legs hit the seat in front the lady complained so she brought him home another time she took him out, and he does have a favorite undesirable word (well used to hes gone off it now thank goodness)and he kept saying it as he hates queues and gets bored frustrated (i never queue with him ) brought him home again now shes not talking at all and he doesnt understand hes devastated and thinks its his fault aunty doesnt like us nanny used to be fantastic with him but she died a couple years ago and MIL lives too far no other family so i have total sympathy for your situation

poor you coff. hope you have a brighter day tomorrow. hope you get appointment soon so that you can get the help your ds needs. know where your coming from re; in laws. my MIL stays in same street as me my 2 NT ds often stay overnight or can visit whenever they like. my sis in law often leaves her 4 kids there. my 10 yo ds with severe autism never gets any attention far less taken anywhere. when im at breaking point and say cant do this any more (rarely sleeps, bites & nips himself constant, faecal smears everywhere) its Oh i know what a nightmare for you, dont know how you manage but oh did i tell you ..... Basically no interest. my own mum does her best, calls every day to see how he is. will take him for couple hours when im struggling. but she is 63 and works full time n cant manage to change him (in nappies full time). Really sympathise with you no wonder your ready to crack up. nothing worse than being passed from pillar to post when all you want is a bit of help or understanding from family. Hope tomorrow better for you.

awww betty I didnt for one minute think you were saying that our kids are not important. :) didnt even enter my head.

There are far more kids crying out for help and I know mine is not as bad as some :) I think its the mother protection instint kicking in today. I am so damn teasy and I think its the aloofness of these ppl on the phone. They are not linked to your family so its just a professional job to them to deal with the next in line so to speak. They are not personally involved other than when they have a meeting with your child and I keep having to tell myself that.

I think its when you know no one wants to know that you get "the attitude" all 3 of my kids get the same at home and I cannot stand for one minute that one of them is being left out. DS is such a loving boy and what angers me most is from a baby they (outlaws) have NEVER taken him out and now he is old enough to notice. He knows them as "what have you bought for me" and it winds me up. Wouldnt be so bad if he was given a chance to actually play them up!

My parents do see him when they are home and make sure its the holidays to make a fuss of all grandchildren so I dont worry there. Its just normal denial with them that there could possibly be anything wrong and that I see as natural. It wont change how they feel about him in anyway. I go out with them just in case and they will babysit here as it is better in his own surroundings so they at least have sense.

My inlaws are a different kettle of fish. They are the same with my eldest (as not real blood :)) but she is 21 now and is old enough not to give a damn.

Half way through a bar of choccie and a coffee. New day tomorrow. :)

lets hope its a better one, today we were at the dentist omg now thats another story brushings bad enough but the dentist,took us ages to get him to even open his mouth then she put the dreaded jelly she calls it on his teeth (floride banana flavour) you would think she was trying to murder him lol what the pateients in the waiting room must have thought was fairly empty in there by time we left haha

All I can suggest is keep pushing! We have just had our first appointment with CAMHS and it took us 17 months to get there. This delay was partly due to previous school not completing form they'd been requested to and fact we moved areas. Could your SENCO refer or could the school do a letter for you to take to GP setting out their concerns.?

Hope you have a better day!

Thanks all has not been good really. My eldest DD decided to overdose on her medication and I have just spent tues and weds with her with machines keeping her alive. Thankfully she pulled through but my head is in so much of a mess with everything at the moment I wont be on here for a few days as I really dont think I could possibly cheer anyone up at the moment if I tried.

@ betty I feel for you at the dentist my DS cant stand brusing his teeth either. He wont put the toothpaste in his mouth without a arguement but is quite happy using his hands to draw pictures on the windows with it.

@ newlife I will get there in the end one way or another. Got EP coming to school on 3rd so I will discuss it with her again. Lets hope it is the last time she has to see him before finishing her assessment then she can also refer him as promised. Two referals are better than one :)

anyway heads spining so off now. Just didnt want your replies unanswered. Cheers for now back again soon.

Can you not get the school nurse/ your health visitor to badger them? Luckily my health visitor liked me as I was 18 when I had Ds so was instantly put on some sort of 'health visitor must visit often' list but she said I don't need to be here your better then me... So she knew when I got worried it was serious...

When proffessionals moan it seems to hold more ground. When I called the paeds secretary I said ' my health visitor said I should call because of x and she thinks ds needs to be seen urgently'... I was seen the next week... Since then things have slown right Down though... Oh well

omg coff33pot is she ok now? its a couple days ago you posted if youve been on let us know i really hope DD is ok and what happened with CAMHS for your DS what a horrible sittuation they put us all in its horrendous , do hope your all ok and how are you coping yourself x

coff33pot. I really hope your dd is doing better now.

Please ask your GP to fax CAMHS about 'the effect of dd's problem on ds'. While you're at it, get the CPN who comes to see your dd on the ward to do the same. CAMHS will then bump ds right up w/list. I'm guessing that little brother getting help will also be good for dd.

Make sure your tell GP enough to scare a psychiatrist eg she's an important carer and out of action for a bit, she influences his behaviour, he might copy her or whatever combination of facts and fears are floating round your head.

and what betty said, look after yourself, they need you so you've no option but to take care of you too. Un-mumsnetty hugs.