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"What Mental Health Care?"

About: The Townsville Hospital / Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit The Townsville Hospital / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

Really disappointed TTH. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for quite a while, things really took a turn for the worst a few weeks ago. I went to my GP who sent me on to the ED, faxed my information through and told me to access urgent counselling from the hospital. I was in a very bad state, the worst I've been in. After four hours of waiting in the ED I was informed it was still going to be a few hours wait, to go home and the mental health team would be in touch. I did get a phone call, 10 hours after presenting to ED. And all I was told in this call is that I'm not suitable for acute care, that it's aimed at people in immediate need of care, to ring lifeline or the other couple of contact numbers they provided. I needed immediate care. It's why I was sent to ED. It takes so much to ask for help in these situations. It's not easy to front up and say "I need help". To be pushed to the side, in that kind of state of mind then to just fall through the cracks - really poor TTH. I won't bother wasting my time there next time. And will just continue sitting on the waiting lists around town for the "urgent" counselling I was told I need.

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Responses

Response from Care Opinion Australia 7 years ago
Submitted on 16/11/2016 at 10:01 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 10:03 AM


The following response has been published by Patient Opinion on behalf of Townsville Hospital and Health Service.

Dear Blue

Thank you for sharing your story on Patient Opinion. I am really sorry to hear about your recent experience in ED and the difficulties you have experienced in trying to access some urgent counselling. I do hope that you have managed to access a counselling service since your ED presentation.

We would very much like an opportunity to discuss your concerns in more detail so that we can investigate the issues you have raised. I encourage you to contact staff in our Patient Liaison Service directly on 4433 1074 at your convenience to discuss your concerns further.

Your feedback is very helpful, as information from our patients helps us to understand where improvements can be made. So I thank you again for your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns to provide reassurance to you for future interactions with our health service.

With kind regards

Karina Finch

Nursing Director Patient Services

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