Mental health questions should have been raised earlier
FAIR play to Lester Queripel for asking questions about mental health – but shouldn’t questions like these have been brought up a lot earlier than this and shouldn’t a lot more deputies be supporting him and asking the same kind of questions?
Deputy Queripel is absolutely correct in saying he cannot understand how a system can be OK and running smoothly when there are 38-odd things that need sorting out.
I have first-hand experience of working with people suffering from mental health issues as a volunteer at the Oberlands. I work in group therapy and I have to admit the team of people I work with are excellent and nothing is too much trouble for them when it comes to supporting people – but to me it seems there is a problem with patients getting past the assessors. I have spoken with far too many people who have been accepted into the system only at the third, fourth or fifth time of being assessed. It cannot be good for anyone being sent back to their GP only to be sent for assessment again by a person in mental health because they are suffering with issues that a GP cannot help them with. This kind of thing leads me to wonder how many who have been rejected and turned away from getting help with their issues have not returned for a second or third time for an assessment and are struggling on alone?
ROD HAMON
5, Rosemount
Mont Arrive
St Peter Port
GY1 2AF