You can always arrange to bring a friend or relative to a review for support.
Your care coordinator will tell you what advocacy services are available in your local area.
Advocate is someone who will represent your views and interests in the course of the review process. Advocates can be volunteers, similar to mental health charity workers, or professionals, similar to lawyers. Some individuals prefer to bring an advocate to their review. Notice that rethink also offers an online directory for advocacy services in England on their website. Alternatively,check with your local council who your advocacy provider is. It’s a good idea to contact your local authority if you wish to know who your advocacy provider is. Yourcouncil should be able to just like MIND or Rethinkoffer additional advice.
Ask the manager of your mental health service to see someone different, including alternative psychiatrist or care ‘co ordinator’, Therefore if you don’t feel that your concerns are taken seriously. Your GP may also be able to assist you. And so it’s important your treatment is reviewed on a regular basis, your personal needs may change over time. You will always be allocated a named person as your care co ordinator. Now this can be a nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist, or an employment specialist. For instance, don’t be afraid to ask questions about things you find unclear. It can be that another approachora new assessmentis necessary in order to find a more suitable service for you. Fact, talk to the mental health professional you are seeing about your concerns. Although, make need to discuss and tick every point off during your appointment, before your appointment.
Let the health professional explain it to you until you are sure you understand it If you feel that the treatment or mental health service was not working for you, as a rule of a thumb, say something.
Alternatively, your GPcan arrange this,but they may have to contact yourlocal clinical commissioning group, that will therefore decide if they willpay for an independent opinion.
Some specialist services are specially funded for such referrals -they usually have information on their websites about this. From a specialist mood disorders or psychosis serviceyour psychiatrist may agree to this and take steps to arrange it, So in case you seek for an independent opinion from outside your current mental health servicefor example. As a rule of a thumb, also be involved in thedecision making about what treatments are best for you, and youshould alsobe given information you can take home,as well astipsfor additional research. It’s a good idea to have the opportunity to ask any questions about your condition,the diagnosis, possible causes,anytreatments on offer, and how those may impact on your life.
Basically the outcome of the assessment will be discussed with you.
You can always bring a friend or family member to an appointment to support you.
If you are not ready to discuss don’t necessarily need to, it helps to be frank and open. Of course you only have to talk about what you need to talk about. You can ask for a specialist second opinion on the NHS. Others don’t and a specialist should then have to be found elsewhere, some mental health trusts do offer specialist services. Specialist services are usually focused on one condition or problem, particularly where that condition is complex or severe. On p of this, you can ask for a second opinion, if you are not sure about a diagnosis or treatment suggested to you.
Most NHS trusts have arrangements in place for second opinion requests and, where possible,will work with youso you cansee anothermental health professional. Find contact details for your local NHS trust. Your care co ordinator must ensureyouhave regular reviews, and will be your first point of contact if you have concerns. Your care ‘coordinator’ will also it’s the clinic, community mental health centre or GP surgerywhere you meet your care coordinator regularly. Your review must take place in a familiar place. It can be possible for it take placeat your house or in a neutral place, like a community centre. Did you hear about something like this before? Or the mental health service refuses to offer a second opinion or a change of health professional, contact your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service, I’d say in case your doctorrefuses to pass on your request. Therefore, they will give you advice on what steps to take next. Ask again, if your GP disagrees or refuses to pass on your request.
Explain why you feel you need a second opinion.
This shouldn’t stop you asking for one if you feelstrongly about it, getting a second opinion might be a difficult step that takes time.
Include examples similar to. You could contact the CCGdirectly, So in case your GP tells you that your request is refused as long as the CCG ain’t funding it. Clinical commissioning groups are in charge of thefunding for your local NHS and decide where the moneyshould bespent. Including circumstances where you are not in agreement with how your GP or current mental health team have responded to the recommendations of a second opinion, you can file an official complaint using the NHS complaints procedure, Therefore if you are not happy with any facts of your care. This is the case. You can find the process explained on most CCG websites, as well asthe application forms needed to make a claim. Yes, that’s right! So it’s called an individual funding request, if you apply directly to the CCG. Now let me tell you something. Explain your reasons and ask them to reconsider. Known sometimes you may feel that your local mental health service ain’t specialised enough to give a diagnosisor effective treatment for your condition, and you may look for an expert to provide this instead.