People’s experience of mental health services in North Tyneside

Healthwatch North Tyneside carried out a review of local mental health services between October and November 2015 to understand the experiences of people using mental health support in the area. The study gathered feedback from 272 people, including service users, carers, family members, professionals and commissioners. The aim was to identify strengths and weaknesses in services and make recommendations for improvement. 

Overall, people reported that accessing mental health services was often difficult. Many participants said that they struggled to identify the right service, particularly people with complex needs such as personality disorders, learning disabilities, autism, substance misuse issues, or experiences of sexual abuse. Respondents frequently felt that they were being passed between services or that they fell between eligibility criteria for different forms of support. 

Waiting times were a major concern. Many people reported long delays before receiving assessments or treatment, particularly for talking therapies and specialist services. Some participants said that they had received little or no support while waiting, which increased the risk of their mental health deteriorating. 

Experiences of crisis care were mixed. While some people spoke positively about crisis teams and emergency support, many others described difficulties accessing help during a crisis, particularly outside normal working hours. Participants reported long waits for responses, inconsistent support in Accident and Emergency departments, and concerns about staff understanding of mental health crises. 

Support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts was identified as an area requiring significant improvement. Respondents reported difficulties finding appropriate help, experiences of insensitive treatment, and inadequate follow-up support after suicide attempts or hospital discharge. Many people said that pathways into support were unclear and that ongoing care was often lacking once the immediate crisis had passed.

Once people were receiving services, experiences were generally more positive. Many participants felt that community mental health services, support groups and specialist staff had helped their recovery and improved their quality of life. Service users often praised individual staff members who listened, showed empathy and provided effective support.

However, concerns remained about assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Some people felt that assessments were too brief or not sufficiently person-centred, while others experienced delays in receiving a diagnosis. Participants also reported dissatisfaction with medication management, including changes to medication without adequate explanation or support. Many felt there should be greater access to alternatives to medication, such as psychological therapies. 

A recurring theme was poor communication and coordination between services. Service users described a lack of integration between GPs, community mental health teams and other providers, leading to confusion about referral pathways and fragmented care. Many participants believed that professionals did not work together effectively enough. 

People also wanted greater involvement in decisions about their treatment and in the design of services. Some felt that their views were not listened to and that professionals sometimes made decisions on their behalf without meaningful consultation. 

Experiences of leaving services were often negative. Many respondents felt they were discharged too early, received insufficient discharge planning, or lacked ongoing support after leaving services. Transitions between child and adult mental health services were also identified as particularly challenging and poorly coordinated. 

Staffing was the most frequently raised issue across all areas of care. Participants emphasised the importance of skilled, compassionate staff but expressed concerns about staffing levels, continuity of care, cancelled appointments and variable staff training. Some people reported experiencing stigma, poor attitudes and a lack of dignity and respect from professionals. 

Physical health was another concern. Some service users felt that healthcare professionals attributed physical symptoms to mental health conditions without adequate investigation. Others reported physical side effects from medication and wanted greater attention paid to their overall health and wellbeing.

Carers and family members often felt excluded from care planning and decision-making. While they recognised their important role in supporting recovery, many said they received inadequate information, support and involvement because of confidentiality barriers. 

The report concluded that mental health services in North Tyneside needed improvements in access, waiting times, crisis support, suicide prevention, discharge planning, integration between services, staff training, carer involvement and support for people with mild to moderate mental health needs. Healthwatch made ten recommendations, including creating a single point of access to services, reducing waiting times, strengthening support for carers, improving crisis pathways, enhancing staff training, addressing barriers faced by specific groups, improving physical health care, promoting multidisciplinary working and increasing service-user involvement in decision-making.