Patients left feeling abandoned by 'broken' Greater Manchester mental health care system

• 'Lisa', not her real name, spoke to ITV Granada about her experience of mental health care in Greater Manchester

Patients and staff at a Greater Manchester mental health service have told ITV Granada the service is broken, with those who need support feeling 'abandoned'.

It can be revealed that there are currently more than 500 people with severe mental health issues waiting on a list and not receiving the help they need. And even when they are seen, patients say they're only offered short-term fixes, with no ongoing support.

A doctor has described the services as 'unsafe', and says the public should be alarmed.

One patient, who we're calling Lisa to protect her identity, says she's 'living a smaller life' because of her lack of support from the service.

'Lisa' has had in-person support for the last 25 years but has recently been discharged from the waiting well service.

"To be provided with no service outside of a crises is abandoning us", she said.

"We are the people who aren't going to get better.

"I had no plan, no prospect of more help, it seemed very basic and like they were concerned whether I would cause a problem for them, IE, triggering an inquest if I killed myself.

"I'm terrified of becoming unwell again which I know is inevitable. I'm not stable. Nobody cares, and even if they do care, they can't help."

Dr John Mulligan, a Unite representative and Psychologist who works in the Early Intervention Service, says he believes the system is broken.

"If your family member becomes unwell, you’re very unfortunate living in Manchester", he said.

"The ratio of staff to service users is appalling in Manchester, so much so that it's an abusive system we’re in at the moment where people are not getting what they need but there is a bit of a pattern or a repetitive cycle where some of our service users can’t even talk about positives in their week, they can’t even talk about recovery and things that are going well because they’re afraid of being discharged."

• Read a blog on the situation written for ITV Granada Reports by Dr John Mulligan

On Monday, early intervention mental health workers in Greater Manchester went on strike for 24 hours, they say poor staffing levels and lack of funding is putting lives at risk.

A worry for Unite members is the unallocated list, also known as the waiting well list.

There are 550 people with severe and enduring mental health issues on this list not currently receiving proper support.

Many of those discharged have been left to fend for themselves.

Annabel Marsh, a retired community mental health nurse, runs a support group and has been a lifeline for many.

She says things have changed drastically over the years.

"People are being neglected and abandoned because they have long-term issues and no voice and when you try and access help, there’s nobody to try and give that help because the teams are overstretched and understaffed."

Craig has complex mental health issues and has been in and out of services for nearly 30 years.

When he was first diagnosed it took weeks for him to get a designated worker, with his latest relapse it’s taken 5 years, in that time, he says that he's lost everything.

Craig said: "My health degraded slowly and surely and my fears of why I was trying to get help became more apparent.

"I struggled more with my own business that I'd managed to build up with my wife. Then it moved to me not being able to work, then the psychosis dropped and that was me, I hardly left my room for a year.

"If it had been ten years ago it might have been different."

Responding to the claims, Professor Manisha Kumar, chief medical officer for NHS Greater Manchester, said: “Mental health services in Greater Manchester, as across many parts of the country, are facing significant pressures, especially as demand for services has grown. Our mental health professionals continue to demonstrate incredible dedication and resilience in the face of these challenges.

“While there are many great examples in Greater Manchester of our work to respond to various mental health and wellbeing issues, we know we can do more. It’s our ambition that everyone living in Greater Manchester should have access to safe mental health care.

"We are focusing on preventing mental health problems and supporting good mental health, improving community services, and strengthening our crisis response services to avoid admission where appropriate. We are working with partners across the wider NHS, local authorities, housing providers and the voluntary sector to ensure people can receive the right care and support near to where they live.

“We are fully aware that some individuals are struggling to access timely and appropriate support, and this is an area that requires urgent attention. The impact of rising demand for services has contributed to difficulties in providing the level of care that people need. We are committed to working with our partners in health and social care to develop solutions that ensure more timely, effective support for individuals with serious mental health conditions.

“If anyone is in need of crisis mental health support, they should contact NHS 111. People of all ages, including children, can use NHS 111 and they will be supported by a trained mental health professional.”

Brian Dow, of charity Rethink Mental Illness, says the level of demand has "sky-rocketed" for mental health services leaving many unable to cope. He spoke to ITV Granada Reports presenter Chris Hall.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health.

“We will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to provide faster treatment and ensure people are appropriately discharged and given the right support.”