Update on Funding and transferring CMHT

Funding as been an issue for some months now, well mainly the debate over which CCG is going to pay for my psychology sessions. Alongside this has been an underlying issue of a potential transfer of care from one NHS trust to another and of course as the patient I had little say in what was happening. At times I have felt frustrated and annoyed as professionals have made decisions which have an impact upon my life, it’s often felt as if those decisions could have been made swifter, easier and well to be blunt in a far better way. They have procrastinated over me and the financial implications when all I have wanted is a smooth transition from one CCG to the other.

Over a year ago I was told that the wrong CCG were paying for therapy and yet the talks between the two bodies didn’t even start. One claimed to send letters to the other and the other claimed not to have received them, in the middle of all of this was me. It all seemed to come to a head when a few months ago funding for therapy was suddenly stopped by the original CCG without warning.

Now I’m sure it seemed like a good idea to Shropshire CCG, a saving they could instantly make except it had huge implications for me. They said that as they had no legal responsibility to pay why should they and pointed me in the direction of the new CCG, who were now legally required to provide my care. That’s the impact I guess of Government changes to legislation. So I spent time worrying as therapy hung in the balance, numerous telephone calls and emails followed and eventually thankfully Shropshire CCG reinstated funding on an interim basis until they could negotiate with the new CCG . The new CCG responded well in the crisis and I was told by them last week that finally a transfer had been agreed between the two CCGs, so therapy is safe for now and I can breath a sigh of relief.

At the same time there has been ongoing discussions over the transfer of care from one NHS trust to another, I agree I need to access services locally and not from an NHS hospital or CMHT in another county. But at times in the past few weeks I have felt like a commodity, a commodity that is passed from pillar to post and back again. Ive been reminded so often of how much I cost the NHS and how much people see me as an expense. It doesn’t help ones self esteem or feelings of self worth to be reminded of the feelings I once felt as a child, feelings of being a commodity to my main abuser.

Whilst the transfer to a new CCG has appeared seamless I’m unsure if the contract issues between my Therapist and the new CCG have been resolved, I can only hope that is the case. However the transfer to a new CMHT and NHS trust seems less organised sadly and I feel lost in a mire of bureaucratic red tape and confusion. Most of the confusion stems from the fact I seemed to be the last to know about the transfer and that does seem rather wrong.

I haven’t met my new CMHT or the newly allocated CPN yet, that is scheduled for late June, but apparently if I am in a crisis or need help now I have to turn to them. Well that’s what my old CMHT has said on more than one occasion, except for a while I didn’t even have a contact number for these people.

So yes I feel a bit like I am piggy in the middle between these two CMHT’s as the transfer clearly hasn’t gone so smoothly. I don’t blame my new CMHT at all they haven’t as yet met me, that will happen at the CPA arranged by my old CMHT, where I assume the formal transfer will happen. But my old CMHT seem keen to rid themselves of me and my costs ahead of that date which really makes me feel great.

When my old Care Coordinator visited last week, she told me that as I now had a new CPN from the new team when I need help I am expected to contact the new team. As I didn’t have any contact information for this team I asked how I was meant to do this? she seemed perplexed she had assumed I knew the contact information. So days later following my challenge that not having these numbers left me high and dry, she emailed saying oh you can use the old CMHT until it’s sorted. A few days later numbers for the new team were duly sent in a two line email that does just contain the numbers, so now I’m left wondering does that mean I use these now or do I use the old team?

You see I think the transfer has officially happened except the new team hasn’t even met me and I don’t know if they have a copy of my care plan or the latest reports from the psychologist. My family don’t even know I have been allocated a new CPN and I’m not sure if that person will have my contact details or my families, so it feels less than ideal.

It would be so easy to spiral into confusion, distress and a heightened sense of anxiety over all of this, it would certainly be easy to stress over feeling like a commodity. I have however been able to talk through these feelings in my therapy session and it has lessened my fears thankfully. I don’t know we’re I would be if I hadn’t been able to discuss these concerns so I’m grateful my psychologist was able to help.

Now I sit waiting for my CPA and am hoping things work out okay with the new team, I am still slightly anxious as each team I have been under differs in their approach. I just hope I’m not left feeling confused for too much longer and I hope they understand Dissociative Identity Disorder. Most of all I guess I hope they treat me as an equal and someone who has a say in their care, after all I have felt like a commodity and an object to be ‘done too’ for far too long.

 

Copyright DID Dispatches 2015