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The Bridge 2022-09-08 Person 1 5 0

I was referred by my GP after privately funded therapy had stopped providing benefit. I was diagnosed with GAD with OCD tendencies and was really struggling. I tried the prescribed antidepressants for 6 months and was suffering terrible side effects so had to discontinue using them. On communicating this to the psychiatrist, I was immediately discharged from her care without notice, which, given my history (which she was aware of), I felt extremely vulnerable, like I’d been neglected. I was then referred to a psychologist (trainee) at The Bridge, and he kept cancelling sessions without notice. I also never felt particularly comfortable with him, some of the comments he made really irked me and caused further distress. After one of our sessions, I vomited as I was that stressed. After 3 years of privately funded therapy, this had never happened before. After the way my support from the psychiatrist was abruptly terminated, I could never fully trust the psychologist. I was told that there’s a ‘three strikes and out policy’ here, where patient care is discontinued if there’s a lack of attendance (I personally didn’t miss one single session), so I found it most frustrating to have my sessions cancelled last minute when The Bridge takes this approach with patients cancelling. Rather frustratingly, I was sent a patient feedback form asking me to review the care received from the psychiatrist, but this was filled in and returned before my care was abruptly terminated. If I’d have filled it in after that, my feedback would have been very different. I also had to chase the psychiatrist up multiple times with regards to a diagnosis letter being sent to my GP. Then when it was sent, there were mistakes in it (the GAD was included but not the OCD tendencies). When I spotted this, reception staff were very unhappy to have to redo the letter, even though the mistake was through no fault of my own. I was also referred for CBT which I found useless. I still have mental health issues and the psychiatrist didn’t seem to know which therapy was suitable. I just don’t feel like there was a reasonable level of care at all. There should at least be a follow up 6 to 12 months after care has been terminated, but this is something that’s implemented. I truly feel I would have been better without the involvement of The Bridge, as the neglect was highly triggering.