Inefficient GP

[Redrouge]

Hi there

I suffer from anxiety, sometimes quite severe. I just moved to London and moving away from friends only made things worse. I tried to talk to my GP about it but his only answer was 'we all have times when we feel a bit anxious'. :yesyes:

So no referral from him for councelling (which was the reason I was going there in the first place). I am not from the UK so I don't fully understand the health services here, but is it possible to self refer to counseling things through the NHS. I don't want to go back to my GP, it was a humiliating and traumatizing experience and I know he won't do more the second time ...

Thank you advance

xxx

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi and welcome to NMP :welcome:

I'm sorry to hear your GP was a bit clueless. From my own experience of GP's they sometimes don't know what to say and give a pleasantry and you would probably find the same GP saying 'we all get down from time to time' to someone with depression. :doh:

However, he certainly could refer you for therapy via the IAPT network. Some of these services can be a mess, they are a network of partners including charities offered grants to fill service gaps, and London is one that has been mentioned as not great. You would think the capital would be the best and us in the boonie cities would be poor yet it can be the other way around...unlike probably any other issue you can think of!

Some GP's are lazy too when it comes to referral. The NHS were even investigating a surgery last year that turned patients away by giving them a leaflet to call for self referral and they stated GP's should do that as it establishes the link for the service to report back as well. However, other people on here are being told this too so it seems the NHS is slipping even more in it's lack of control of GP services.

A lot of the IAPT partners will allow self referral and you get the same as you would if a GP or other medical professional referred you. In some ways it's better, you can chase it up if needed unlike relying on your GP surgery to sort their end out.

To find your IAPT partner, use this facility on NHS Choices:

http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Psychological%20therapies%20(IAPT)/LocationSearch/10008

They may have a website listed. If not, just Google them. Even Googling "CBT" + your area can turn them up, as can looking on your local council website or local NHS trust (or CCG).

This is a good thing to do anyway because it will tell you what they can do for you. However, you can also just look on the IAPT website as they will explain what their network provides. IAPT is there to offer specific forms of therapy.

[Redrouge]

Thank you very much, you give better advice than my GP :) I'll do that and see what it brings.

Best