As
Secretary and Co-founder of SEED Eating Disorder Support Services I am writing
to highlight the gaps in services for those suffering from Eating Disorders
within Hull and East Riding.
As
a voluntary organisation we work in partnership with the Hull Evolve Eating
Disorder Day Service as part of the City Health Care Partnership.
My
heart goes out to those people living in the East Riding within the adult age
groups of 18 plus. All too often they leave CAMHS Services to be
discharged at 18 with no network of support whatsoever. The referral
pathways within East Riding do not recognise Eating Disorders at Community
Level and they are often put on waiting lists sometime as long as 18 months to
2 years for psychology within Specialist Services – often never receiving that
appointment and often presenting in ‘crisis’ whilst they wait. They may
need in-patient services within a hospital ward or be sectioned within a
psychiatric unit.
If
you live in Hull or the East Riding and have a Hull GP then you
are able to access Evolve Hull Eating Disorder Day Services, offering a range
of services including meal planning and supported meals, face to face therapy
and dietetic services and they have a clinical nurse in post to monitor medical
risk. Sadly if you live in Hull or East Riding and don’t
have a Hull GP then this is not possible.
As
a Voluntary Charity we have many years’ experience of supporting both sufferers
and carers of this devastating illness; an illness that effects anyone who if
part of their life. Carers who are desperate make contact, as they see
their Son or Daughter ‘lost’ to an eating disorder. It has the highest
mortality rate of any other mental health illness with a staggering 20% of
people dying every year through the illness or through suicide.
Partnership
working is the key with authorities coming together with the voluntary sector.
To
think outside the box at times and recognise that there are exceptional
organisations who give their time voluntarily to support others may be the way
forward, and for them to be part of that ‘network’ of support.
Early
intervention is the key and close monitoring of both the physical and emotional
needs vital.
Let’s
work together to make that possible!
Marg
Oaten MBE
Secretary
and Co-Founder
SEED
Eating Disorder Support Services.
I
wanted to end this post with an expression of thanks to Marg for writing this
piece, and for the services that SEED provide.
I
have experienced firsthand the enormous amount of help that SEED can deliver
for those struggling, whilst waiting for help from the NHS. As many of you will
know, I had waited 6 months for specific eating disorder help before being
hospitalised in July. When discharged from this setting, I was told that I
would have a strong team of support within the community, however, after
waiting for another 6 months, I was still left with no psychological support.
Last month, I experienced a major blip in my recovery, which highlighted how
desperately I needed the psychological help, and with no appointments arranged
with the NHS, my parents sought help from SEED.
Within
the space of a few days, Marg had put a referral through for a specialist
psychologist, and an appointment was arranged for me to meet with her the
following week. I was exceptionally grateful, and after meeting with the
professional at a very convenient time in the evening, I was thrilled with the
rapport and understanding that I had built within one appointment. We discussed
the areas that needed to be addressed, and established what methods work best
for me. I left the appointment feeling very positive about my recovery, and I
cannot thank SEED enough for giving me that extra boost and confidence in the
recovery process.
Ironically,
a few days after my private appointment, I received a letter from my community
team. The letter stated that 4 appointments at 10:00am on consecutive Mondays
had been arranged for my initial assessment with a trainee psychologist. I
could not believe that after waiting for so long and arranging private help, I
finally received the news I had been so desperate for.
Now,
a few of you reading this may not agree with what I did next, but it was a
decision that I did not take lightly I can assure you; I cancelled the
community appointments. Firstly, these appointments were for an initial
assessment, meaning that I could have attended all 4 and then been told that I
did not qualify for further treatment. Secondly, the appointments were at very
inconvenient times, as I should have been at work- this would have all added to
the anxiety that I feel about letting people down, in this case my colleagues-
even though I know how supportive they are! Thirdly, I had already established
with the private psychologist exactly what I feel I should work on, and felt
that tailor-made package was something I would not have been able to achieve
with a community psychologist. Finally, I did not want to enter that cycle
again of seeing multiple professionals at one time, as this did not work well
for me at all before.
Please
do not misinterpret my decision as that of being ungrateful towards the NHS- I
am sure after reading my entire story, you will sense the appreciation I have
towards this fantastic service. It was a case of still being left in the
unknown. I had been repeatedly told that I was at the ‘top of the waiting list’
for 6 months, and I could not afford, for the sake of my health, to hold out
any longer. This is why I am so thankful to Marg for stepping in when things
came tumbling back down again. She is an incredible woman, which champions an
incredible charity and service!
No comments:
Post a Comment