More than a year has passed since I was referred to the NHS mental health service, Inclusion Matters, and it seems I might have eventually got my "initial assessment".
Early in 2013 I was referred by my GP to the Inclusion Matters mental health service. I called the opt in number after following what the referral letter stated. I was told that the woman who deals with my area was not yet in the office and that after leaving my contact number she would call me back. I was then asked if they could leave a message on that number should I not be available to which I replied yes. The call back never came and I moved home about a month later so in the unlikely event that they did call back after this time I was unable to receive such calls.
In January 2014 I was referred to the Inclusion Matters mental health service by my GP after I had to visit hospital due to self injuring. I followed the instructions given in the referral letter and called the opt in number after waiting 2 days. I was told that the woman who deals with my area was not yet in the office and that if I left my contact number she would call me back. I was then asked if they could leave a message on that number should I not be available to which I replied yes.
The call back never came.
After 2 weeks I went back to my GP who advised me to keep calling until they actually do what they are supposed to do. I called many times over the following weeks and eventually I actually managed to get through to the woman who deals with my area (despite being told countless times that they would call me back when she is in or when she is not busy). Feeling relieved that I was actually getting somewhere I thought an appointment was forthcoming. Instead I was told that they had no record of a referral since 2013 and that I would again have to go back to my GP to get one. The woman also said I'd need to wait "at least 4 days before ringing" despite the referral letters always stating 2 days.
It took nearly 3 months to get in touch with the right person at Inclusion Matters and then despite the fact that I had seen my GP send the referral fax in January 2014 they deny it even existed.
I made yet another appointment to see my GP within 2 days of being told by Inclusion Matters that they had not received my recent referral. My GP was not at all happy with Inclusion Matters and sent a new referral on 25th March 2014 which I again saw being faxed.
I waited the 4 days as I was told by the Inclusion Matters woman and called the opt in number. Oh what a surprise to find that the woman for my area was busy and she would take my number, call me back or leave a message for me if I'm not available.
The callback never came yet again.
I tried again a few days later and got the same response. I've since come to the conclusion when Inclusion Matters say I'll get a "call back" what they actually mean is "we don't give a damn about you and the only way you are ever going to be dealt with is if you are lucky enough to choose a time to call when they aren't busy", no matter how many times they say otherwise.
I had given up. I needed to see my GP for a check up and to get more medication soon so I told myself I'll tell her again what has happen with regards to Inclusion Matters and no doubt she would lodge an official complaint or something similar as she would not be happy.
The 25th Anniversary of the horrific Hillsborough tragedy came and Inclusion Matters posted the following Tweet:
Which I found laughable. How do they expect to help someone who has been dealing with such a horrific event for 25 years when they can't even make a simple callback to some who has been trying to get help from their service for 4 months?
I responded to their Tweet:
I emailed and explained to them everything that had occurred since my 2013 referral to the mysterious missing referral and the most recent referral and the "callbacks" that never took place. I was hopeful that maybe now I would be able to get the help I have been trying to get from Inclusion Matters since 2013.
April 25th arrived and I received a letter from Inclusion Matters (no single person just signed as Inclusion Matters). The letter makes out it's my fault that I was not getting the help I was referred for. Stating "we are happy to reinstate your referral from 27.03.14". If they had actually called me back then there would have been no need to reinstate anything it was Inclusion Matters that caused the referral to lapse. I called them, it wasn't my fault that every time I called they said they'd call me back and then didn't.
Despite all of this I again called Inclusion Matters to opt in and in this letter I was given a different number to call. When I called the new number I was then told I had called the wrong number even though this was the new number given to me in the most recent letter I had received. I eventually got through to the right person and after more than a year I now have a date and time for my initial telephone assessment. It still however remains to be seen if they'll actually call me as they don't seem to like doing that.
The whole point of being referred to the Inclusion Matters service was to get help in dealing with various mental health problems I am dealing with yet so far the only thing it has done has made them much worse.
Depression Questionnaire (PHQ9):
Your Depression Score is 27/27
Anxiety Questionnaire (GAD7):
Your Anxiety Score is 21/21
