Dr Danny Allen

Written by a patient at Cardinal Clinic

Quite simply the most pompous and uncompassionate professional I've ever encountered. May God pity anyone who comes across this man as their first mental health professional. I saw Dr Danny Allen for pre-diagnosed ADHD, and depression, which I have been battling with for many years. Prior to attending I had been seeing another psychiatrist, who had prescribed me with several different SSRIs and ADHD medications, which had been beneficial to a limited degree. My previous psychiatrist went on extended medical leave but suggested several further drugs to try in my notes. To start with Dr Danny Allen spend most of the hour long consultation literally reading and going over my notes, that I'd sent to him a week previously. My notes were less than 1.5 sides of A4 and he clearly hadn't bothered to read them prior to the appointment. Upon reviewing my notes, Danny Allen said my issues were too complicated for him, and I should see a psychologist instead. I countered that the ONLY thing that had helped over the years had been medication, and that "talking therapy" in the form of 3ys+ of CBT hadn't helped (to this he literally waved his hand and dismissed CBT as useless "modern fad" therapy). When I said that even if it did work, wouldn't ONLY using psychotherapy take a long time to yield results compared to medication, he smugly just said "yes" and smirked Dr Danny Allen made no effort to hide the fact that the reason he wasn't prepared to treat me with any medication, was because I was "self-medicating". When I pointed out that my medication was a prescription from my previous psychiatrist, and being taken in accordance with it, he reasserted it was "self-medication" as I had continued taking it when i was no longer under the supervision of that doctor anymore. He said he would not treat me with medication even if I agreed to stop taking the previous prescription (which I pointed out was the only thing keeping me from being bed-ridden 24/7). HOWEVER, when I asked him hypothetically if I'd told him I hadn't had any medication for 3 months prior to our meeting, would he be treating my symptoms with medication rather than psychology? He admitted he "possibly would". I left feeling more hopeless than I ever have, with the feeling my problem was more severe, more complicated, and more untreatable than any GP or psychiatrist had previously led me to believe. Dr Danny Allen showed no understanding or compassion of my situation at all. He offered no reassurances or hope for my condition, and for most of the time sat with his arms defensively crossed, arrogantly smirking. My wife who was present for most of the consultation also thought he was an appaling doctor, coming across as arrogant, smug and totally lacking in compassion or kindness for someone battling to stay alive each day.

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