As many of us already know, trying to access mental health services across Wiltshire is a lottery. But whether you live in a good area like Bristol, Swindon and Salisbury; and yes, I am very aware that those areas are not in Wiltshire, but this is due to the fact that our mental health trust AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) covers Bath and Northeast Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire. So funding is spent in large metropolitan areas leaving the small towns and interconnected with limited or no services.
About 5 years ago Trowbridge mental health services was slimmed down (i.e., cut to the bone) and many service users where discharge back to GP Services. Adding more pressure on over stretched NHS Services.
For someone in mental health distress (before a person reaches crisis) before this slimmed down service had a dedicate person they could contact. But now they must contact the GP Surgery and if lucky the surgery has a mental health nurse. Once you get an appointment you get 10 or 20 minutes to explain what the problem is.
Sadly, people with mental health problems don’t explain fully (or can’t basically because problems can be more complex than can be explained) so often get palmed off with more pills or referred to IAPS.
Just recently our group Trowbridge Service Users Group were asked to talk to a reporter from BBC Wiltshire about their experiences of the services in Trowbridge. Below is the BBC shows and below that are Audio Clips of the bits we appeared.
Breakfast can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0d1wk9d and live at those times as well
Daytimes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0d1wkbr
Audio Clips
We will continue to highlight the limited service available as well as try to support as many people as possible. Trowbridge Service Users group is going to be looking for help and support to grow look out for our new promotional video which is being created by http://www.edensaundersproductions.co.uk/ we are looking for a new board who have experience of building a charity. If you’re interested in helping to improve the mental health provisions in Trowbridge please contact us
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