Concerns raised as calls to mental health team went unanswered

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Calls to a mental health team went unanswered because support workers had been given the wrong phone number.

Concerns that people in mental distress using a dedicated phone number for urgent mental health support have on occasions not been answered have also been raised.

Issues impacting mental health services in Monmouthshire were highlighted at a meeting of the county council’s public services committee which was addressed by a support worker from mental health charity Mind and doctors from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Megan Escott, from Mind Gwent, said a support service it provides for some 200 people at risk of homelessness had found clients were unable to contact the Community Mental Health Team at times of crisis.

She said since the charity had compiled a report, for the council, in February it has met with the team, ran by the health board, which was “very apologetic and has taken on board issues we raised.”

It has also employed a further two community psychiatric nurses while other issues with the service included clients not being told when their nurse had left their role and failures to update clients or support workers.

Ms Escott said it had to put “a lot of extra resources” into supporting a client who had made calls to the team that went unanswered and also said emails hadn’t been responded to. Since the meeting the charity has been given email addresses for senior figures if they haven’t had a response.

She said: “In our experience more calls are now being answered before it was either just going dead or a message ‘the number is full, please leave a message after the beep’.”

NHS

Anyone in Wales in need of urgent mental health support can also use the NHS 111 number and press option two but Ms Escott, said while for most of charity’s clients it is “an amazing service” there have also been problems when people are turned away from accident and emergency departments.

She said people in a mental health crisis are no longer able to attend at A&E and instead told to dial 111.

“We had one woman who turned up at A&E and had the items to take her own life in her possession but was told she had to go away and ring 101 and she waited 40 minutes and her call wasn’t answered.”

Dr Liz Andrew, consultant clinical psychologist for the health board, said problems in contacting the mental health team were an “operational problem due to a wrong phone number that has been addressed”.

She also said the NHS 111 option two was a “very good service” available 24 hours a day and provides a “brief intervention” and can signpost to other assistance and make referrals to local services.

Dr Andrew had joined the meeting after the claim a 111 call had gone unanswered and wasn’t directly questioned about it.

She and health board colleagues stressed support is available across Gwent which includes the www.melo.cymru website, run by the Aneurin Bevan health board which provides help and support and resources, an online information board for use by professionals and support services, and the Mental Health Helpline for Wales which can be contacted for free on 0800 132 737 or by text on 81066.

All information is also available to be printed up for GPs and support workers to hand out, while leaflets with contact numbers are also printed, and health workers can also provide patients with free mobile data if they need it to access support services. Talking therapy is also available in person or online depending on the patient’s choice.