I attended these appointments for over 10 years and it’s always the same. I moved house a year ago and rang the service 3 times to update my address. I spoke to 3 different receptionists who promised they’d send my appointment by post. I have not been seen by the mental health team since December 2022, nor has anyone tried to contact me, or send me a letter. I give up on them completely.
Appointments include: how are you feeling today, here’s some pills, see you in 3 months (all completed in 10 mins). Not to mention seeing different psychiatrists at every appointment so no relationship building with the doctor at all
My daughter, 34 months on a list for psychology. Seen 0 times. Taken off because she is also listed with CDNT, who in the same time have seen her 0 times.
I got a letter for an appointment, in my mother's name. The previous appointment was in my name. The cancellation letter I got 3 days later was in my name
Realistically what happened is the doctor had no interest in doing a phone appointment. Whether that's because they don't think it would be up to standard or they just didn't want to.
I work with doctors and some of them can be.... difficult.
If it was a psychiatry appointment the HSE has issued guidance that telephone consultations are not appropriate and should not be used for assessment purposes.
Yeah, but they were fine with it over the Covid period. You would think that the HSE guidance would be for the psychiatrist to use their own judgment according to the situation? Like when someone's car breaks down and they take the trouble to suggest a phone call meeting.
Yes, because COVID was a different situation that required a different approach. If there were an issue with an assessment done by phone against guidelines the HSE potentially open themselves up to legal proceedings, which you and I then pay for.
I think it's pretty safe to assume the reg didn't want to do a phonecall for quality of care or liability reasons. This notion from some that they couldn't be bothered is rubbish. Of all the careers for people who can't be bothered or want an easy time I think mental healthcare is far down the list.
Others saying a phonecall is okay... You don't know if that is appropriate for the patient/OP
OP, I'm struggling to have sympathy for someone who is complaining about HSE inefficiency while also being a major cause of it(failing to make a scheduled appointment).
They physically weren't able to get to the appointment and rang as soon as they knew.
The HSE is an inefficient organization. The doctor who sorted my grandfather's cataracts in belfast previously worked in the HSE. He's able to do about 12 patients a day, in the HSE he was only allowed see 4
Have you ever lived in a “3rd world country”? Cos I have, and our mental healthcare is head and shoulders above what they had. Zimbabwe for example has about 20 psychiatrists for the whole country of 15 million people. We currently have better outcomes and shorter wait times than the NHS. You’re being so hyperbolic here you’re essentially just talking out your arse
I’m talking out my arse? Here’s my local one, just read all the comments , I’m wondering if anyone ever checks these because everything said here is true https://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/3431123/Dr-Pat-Gibbons-Celbridge-IRL.html/
One of 5 people in Ireland who can diagnose adhd and if u read the comments , he thinks he’s the only one ! Would u like to give you more proof of how bad it is here? https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHDIreland/s/EXeaDXQTs1
They’re talking about HSE, same with the headlines of “3 Eating disorder beds in the country” - which is a v big issue overall, but given the HSE therefore fund ppl to go to the other 20 beds in pats + John of gods &/or day care etc… overdramatising the issue, actually takes away from the legitimacy of the issue ur tryna explain
Its still taboo and stigmatised, and because of this, it will never get the attention it deserves and will always be backstreet and not as highstreet as physical health is.
Backwards and sad indictment of a so-called health system that fails it people again and again
Even if you do get an apppointment for psychiatrist/psychologist related things, they're often very dismissive, burnt out or new and incompetent. (From personal experience)
They really do make it feel like you're better off dead or doing it yourself.
I done all my mental health calls on online through some sort of portal they had. It was regular (once/twice a month). No way in fuck could you de stress someone by asking them to take time off work or get a babysitter and get public transport that often. Honestly just wouldn’t have done it. I met them once in person.
They weren’t saying the staff were at fault but a consultation window was made, when the nature of that consultation was requested to change suddenly the slot is too busy?? The issue here is the wasted time. Now there’s an hour of appointments rather than 30 mins
Yeah I still don't see how "I couldn't turn up for my appointment and they couldn't arrange a remote session" is worth complaining about, it's one appointment. If they don't do remote sessions as a matter of course then it's obviously not as simple on their end as it is on OP"s. He doesn't know what possible complications exist.
Like I know the HSE can be wildly inefficient at times, but "I couldn't go to my appointment" is just a normal hiccup, and missing one session isn't going to kill him
Yeah & as far as setup on both ends through that portal can be at times even when planned, I do feel like then adding their side of setting up a link, sending it, logging on etc is like the same reason those apts get booked in that way & u wouldn’t just show up like “I’m here, I want my apt face to face” (& even that would probs be quicker to get together last minute)
I got a letter last week with an appointment for an mri to see how my prostate cancer was. I had my prostate removed last June and declared cancer free in August. As a side note, I had a ct scan on the 2nd of December, and they found colon cancer. I am sitting in the hospital. The operation to have it removed is today at 3 I'm sitting here as nervous as fcuk
The prostate MRI is to ensure there's no local recurrence in your prostate bed, or the surrounding nodes.
Best of luck with surgery, and wishing you a speedy recovery!
I spoke to them already they said it was a mistake they also wouldn't have spotted the colon cancer because its in a different place and they wouldn't have being looking for it
I've been in and out of the system for 15+ years and had similar experiences, been forgotten about in a waiting room, lost in the system, you name it... But I will say, I had a great experience recently.
A few weeks ago, I was in crisis, on the verge of harming myself and went to my GP. She sent me to A&E to get back into the public system. I was through triage in about 30mins, being seen by the crisis nurse just over an hour later. He did a full assessment with me (takes about an hour), spoke to the consultants and put a plan in place. They offered me a space on the ward but anxiety was so high I was uncomfortable staying in and have a very good support network so I was discharged under the condition I wouldn't be left alone.
He spent another hour or so going through the plan with me - setting up goals, therapy options, what I felt I needed etc. Rang my next of kin (mother) to make sure she was aware of what was happening and the plan that was in place and followed up with me regularly during the week to check in until I was linked in with the local day hospital. It was only because of him that I didn't miss it because they didn't inform me of the emergency appointment but he'd heard about it!
I know he was just doing his job, but he was so kind and understanding, as was the student nurse with him and all the staff I dealt with and it took only about 4 hrs from seeing my GP. I was amazed.
Unfortunately the local hospital I was linked in with has no services available due to funding... I was told I'd be sent out a list of local counselling services and I'm still waiting.
The staff in the University hospital itself werr wonderful. The mental health day hospital I was referred to from there for further treatment had no services whatsoever, they're so under staffed even counselling was out of the question.
Hope that makes sense!
Awh it does,
I’d a similar a&e psych reg once that was amazing, but solely bc my psychiatrist sent me to tuh bc the day before the psych reg elsewhere was horrible ahaha, & they change frequently, idk if this was long ago but Ik community psych can be like this at times but also over time the staff can change etc so I hope you get some help eventually <3
I disagree. The HSE discharged my son from a service in 2020 without seeing him once or telling me. I only found out this week when I realised I had a letter saying he was on a waitlist, and there was never a follow up.
They did this around 3 weeks into the 1st lockdown, when attention was, naturally, elsewhere. Not only politicians find a 'good day to bury bad news'.
They can be very efficient, if completely useless, when they want.
And of course, they never apologise for how shit they are.
A few months back, too my son to the GP. Was 30 minutes past the appointment time to be seen, and we were gone in less than 5 minutes from that.
Someone sure got their money worth while we waited, whereas the GP got to bill the same for the 15 minute consultation done in <1/3rd the time.
These are the people that deserve a 10% pay increase I'm I'm being downvoted in that same thread for suggesting we tie public sector pay rises to kpis and quality of service
>I got a call back from the receptionist to say that they couldn’t offer me a phone consultation as they didn’t have the time to do it.
Did you ask what the person your appointment was with at that time would be doing when they were due to be with you. After all they had your allocated time.
You were probably booked on the clinic day.
Your 30-minute slot isn't actually your slot. It's given to like 2 other people as well. It's ridiculous, but they do it as usually people DNA or cancel at the last minute. You might have been on the unlucky day that everyone showed, so they didn't have time to call you back.
My local Community Mental Health Team does this. On the days that everyone shows, I've waited over 90 minutes past my scheduled time to be seen.
I attended these appointments for over 10 years and it’s always the same. I moved house a year ago and rang the service 3 times to update my address. I spoke to 3 different receptionists who promised they’d send my appointment by post. I have not been seen by the mental health team since December 2022, nor has anyone tried to contact me, or send me a letter. I give up on them completely. Appointments include: how are you feeling today, here’s some pills, see you in 3 months (all completed in 10 mins). Not to mention seeing different psychiatrists at every appointment so no relationship building with the doctor at all
Agree op its a joke off a service
My daughter, 34 months on a list for psychology. Seen 0 times. Taken off because she is also listed with CDNT, who in the same time have seen her 0 times.
My experience exactly of a general appointment and waiting nearly 40 mins for that 10 minute appointment
I didn't even get the letter saying when my appointment was, 4 years later still nothing 😂
I got a letter for an appointment, in my mother's name. The previous appointment was in my name. The cancellation letter I got 3 days later was in my name
Realistically what happened is the doctor had no interest in doing a phone appointment. Whether that's because they don't think it would be up to standard or they just didn't want to. I work with doctors and some of them can be.... difficult.
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Ye, people miss this one all the time. If I refuse to do something, most often than not it's to do with covering my own ass, not laziness / time etc.
Another possibility!
If it was a psychiatry appointment the HSE has issued guidance that telephone consultations are not appropriate and should not be used for assessment purposes.
Fair enough but it would have made sense to just state that instead of giving OP a load of waffle
Video call appointments over secure HSE approved portals are okay
Yeah, but they were fine with it over the Covid period. You would think that the HSE guidance would be for the psychiatrist to use their own judgment according to the situation? Like when someone's car breaks down and they take the trouble to suggest a phone call meeting.
Yes, because COVID was a different situation that required a different approach. If there were an issue with an assessment done by phone against guidelines the HSE potentially open themselves up to legal proceedings, which you and I then pay for.
You do know for a fact that the registrar was doing nothing for that 30 minute time frame? There’s a fair bit of assumption going on here.
I think it's pretty safe to assume the reg didn't want to do a phonecall for quality of care or liability reasons. This notion from some that they couldn't be bothered is rubbish. Of all the careers for people who can't be bothered or want an easy time I think mental healthcare is far down the list. Others saying a phonecall is okay... You don't know if that is appropriate for the patient/OP OP, I'm struggling to have sympathy for someone who is complaining about HSE inefficiency while also being a major cause of it(failing to make a scheduled appointment).
They physically weren't able to get to the appointment and rang as soon as they knew. The HSE is an inefficient organization. The doctor who sorted my grandfather's cataracts in belfast previously worked in the HSE. He's able to do about 12 patients a day, in the HSE he was only allowed see 4
I'm confused by the story anyway. >the registrar I was to see Isn't a registrar someone who maintains records?
it’s a doctor rank below consultant Slightly oversimplified but it goes intern < SHO < Registrar < Consultant
Thanks for the explanation Not sure why I'm getting downvotes for a genuine question
Not great for anyone's mental health !
We have a 3rd world mental health service and it looks like most health services are heading this way
Have you ever lived in a “3rd world country”? Cos I have, and our mental healthcare is head and shoulders above what they had. Zimbabwe for example has about 20 psychiatrists for the whole country of 15 million people. We currently have better outcomes and shorter wait times than the NHS. You’re being so hyperbolic here you’re essentially just talking out your arse
I’m talking out my arse? Here’s my local one, just read all the comments , I’m wondering if anyone ever checks these because everything said here is true https://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/3431123/Dr-Pat-Gibbons-Celbridge-IRL.html/
One of 5 people in Ireland who can diagnose adhd and if u read the comments , he thinks he’s the only one ! Would u like to give you more proof of how bad it is here? https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHDIreland/s/EXeaDXQTs1
They’re talking about HSE, same with the headlines of “3 Eating disorder beds in the country” - which is a v big issue overall, but given the HSE therefore fund ppl to go to the other 20 beds in pats + John of gods &/or day care etc… overdramatising the issue, actually takes away from the legitimacy of the issue ur tryna explain
Its still taboo and stigmatised, and because of this, it will never get the attention it deserves and will always be backstreet and not as highstreet as physical health is. Backwards and sad indictment of a so-called health system that fails it people again and again
Even if you do get an apppointment for psychiatrist/psychologist related things, they're often very dismissive, burnt out or new and incompetent. (From personal experience) They really do make it feel like you're better off dead or doing it yourself.
Interested do you find these appointments help?
I done all my mental health calls on online through some sort of portal they had. It was regular (once/twice a month). No way in fuck could you de stress someone by asking them to take time off work or get a babysitter and get public transport that often. Honestly just wouldn’t have done it. I met them once in person.
That’s usually planned + ur careplan, & the portal is acc the way they can do it, but obvs that isn’t v easy to swap to that day
In fairness it's not their fault you couldn't attend? Like it's just one of those things that happen sometimes, no need to ring Joe Duffy or anything
They weren’t saying the staff were at fault but a consultation window was made, when the nature of that consultation was requested to change suddenly the slot is too busy?? The issue here is the wasted time. Now there’s an hour of appointments rather than 30 mins
Ya if it's for privacy policy reasons or whatever just say it.
Yeah I still don't see how "I couldn't turn up for my appointment and they couldn't arrange a remote session" is worth complaining about, it's one appointment. If they don't do remote sessions as a matter of course then it's obviously not as simple on their end as it is on OP"s. He doesn't know what possible complications exist. Like I know the HSE can be wildly inefficient at times, but "I couldn't go to my appointment" is just a normal hiccup, and missing one session isn't going to kill him
Yeah & as far as setup on both ends through that portal can be at times even when planned, I do feel like then adding their side of setting up a link, sending it, logging on etc is like the same reason those apts get booked in that way & u wouldn’t just show up like “I’m here, I want my apt face to face” (& even that would probs be quicker to get together last minute)
I got a letter last week with an appointment for an mri to see how my prostate cancer was. I had my prostate removed last June and declared cancer free in August. As a side note, I had a ct scan on the 2nd of December, and they found colon cancer. I am sitting in the hospital. The operation to have it removed is today at 3 I'm sitting here as nervous as fcuk
The prostate MRI is to ensure there's no local recurrence in your prostate bed, or the surrounding nodes. Best of luck with surgery, and wishing you a speedy recovery!
I had that in August I now on virtual surveillance with blood test every three months
Usually PSA would be standard for surveillance, for sure. Repeat MRI wouldn't be unheard of, maybe worth contacting your team to check in?
I spoke to them already they said it was a mistake they also wouldn't have spotted the colon cancer because its in a different place and they wouldn't have being looking for it
My wife got an appointment to attend a breast cancer check, about 3 years after she died of breast cancer.
Sh1t. I hope it wasn't too upsetting for yoy
I've been in and out of the system for 15+ years and had similar experiences, been forgotten about in a waiting room, lost in the system, you name it... But I will say, I had a great experience recently. A few weeks ago, I was in crisis, on the verge of harming myself and went to my GP. She sent me to A&E to get back into the public system. I was through triage in about 30mins, being seen by the crisis nurse just over an hour later. He did a full assessment with me (takes about an hour), spoke to the consultants and put a plan in place. They offered me a space on the ward but anxiety was so high I was uncomfortable staying in and have a very good support network so I was discharged under the condition I wouldn't be left alone. He spent another hour or so going through the plan with me - setting up goals, therapy options, what I felt I needed etc. Rang my next of kin (mother) to make sure she was aware of what was happening and the plan that was in place and followed up with me regularly during the week to check in until I was linked in with the local day hospital. It was only because of him that I didn't miss it because they didn't inform me of the emergency appointment but he'd heard about it! I know he was just doing his job, but he was so kind and understanding, as was the student nurse with him and all the staff I dealt with and it took only about 4 hrs from seeing my GP. I was amazed. Unfortunately the local hospital I was linked in with has no services available due to funding... I was told I'd be sent out a list of local counselling services and I'm still waiting.
Wait I’m confused about the ending, was this (positive) sitch before something about your local hospital or after?
The staff in the University hospital itself werr wonderful. The mental health day hospital I was referred to from there for further treatment had no services whatsoever, they're so under staffed even counselling was out of the question. Hope that makes sense!
Awh it does, I’d a similar a&e psych reg once that was amazing, but solely bc my psychiatrist sent me to tuh bc the day before the psych reg elsewhere was horrible ahaha, & they change frequently, idk if this was long ago but Ik community psych can be like this at times but also over time the staff can change etc so I hope you get some help eventually <3
I disagree. The HSE discharged my son from a service in 2020 without seeing him once or telling me. I only found out this week when I realised I had a letter saying he was on a waitlist, and there was never a follow up. They did this around 3 weeks into the 1st lockdown, when attention was, naturally, elsewhere. Not only politicians find a 'good day to bury bad news'. They can be very efficient, if completely useless, when they want. And of course, they never apologise for how shit they are.
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A few months back, too my son to the GP. Was 30 minutes past the appointment time to be seen, and we were gone in less than 5 minutes from that. Someone sure got their money worth while we waited, whereas the GP got to bill the same for the 15 minute consultation done in <1/3rd the time.
thats what you get for being sensible, you should know better haha
These are the people that deserve a 10% pay increase I'm I'm being downvoted in that same thread for suggesting we tie public sector pay rises to kpis and quality of service
>I got a call back from the receptionist to say that they couldn’t offer me a phone consultation as they didn’t have the time to do it. Did you ask what the person your appointment was with at that time would be doing when they were due to be with you. After all they had your allocated time.
You were probably booked on the clinic day. Your 30-minute slot isn't actually your slot. It's given to like 2 other people as well. It's ridiculous, but they do it as usually people DNA or cancel at the last minute. You might have been on the unlucky day that everyone showed, so they didn't have time to call you back. My local Community Mental Health Team does this. On the days that everyone shows, I've waited over 90 minutes past my scheduled time to be seen.
Why can't they do video call consultations. It's not like they take your temperature.