St Mary's Lodge - Leamington Spa

Daniela

I was seen by a psychiatrist, Dr. Swathi Sanagapati, earlier this year at St. Mary's Lodge. This was sometime after being seen by the Crisis team for 6 weeks and then shoved into the GP. I had to self refer myself to St. Mary's Lodge through Talking Therapies.
Dr. Sanagapati would interrupt me constantly, shouted at me and even scolded me for having pursued a private psychologist after I was discharged from the Crisis Team with no follow up. She said that, if I hadn't done that, she could now refer me to a team of psychologists there. As if I knew that was an option and as if I could be without support for this long! I replied that I can give up my psychologist and to please refer me to that service but she denied, wouldn't even let me get a word in. Then proposed me to take medication. I asked to read the side effects before accepting, to which she sighed and responded aggressively. It took all my strength to compose myself throughout the whole session.
I read through the side effects at home and decided not to take the new meds as I already suffered a lot with previous psych meds. When I told her this at the next appointment, she said there was nothing for her to do then and refused, again, to refer me to the psychologists team. That if I wanted that, I could go through the whole process again.
Through the sessions, when she asked questions about me and what I've been through, when I told her my psychotic symptoms, she would deny they were psychotic symptoms. So hearing music that doesn't exist and voices that are not there, and seeing distorted smiles in furniture is not a psychotic symptom. Also believing your phone can read your mind is totally normal. This woman was condescending, made me feel stupid and straight up denied 5 months of my life where I was in complete terror and doubtful of what was real and what wasn't.
I know it hurts so bad when you need help and you feel like risking this service but please, if you do want to be seen by this service, please make sure you have someone to support you. If my boyfriend wouldn't be there, I don't know if I'd still be here. Please don't go alone, you can find more empathy in some online communities, not Mind, not the first results on Google, dig deeper, there's better support in other less known places.

Steve R.

8 months in and still no futher forward, although they have allocated a case worker at last..... to do ..............another assessment!!!!!
Having the 5th assessment now to tell them what they should have already acted upon from teh last 4!.
Men in suits spaffing mental health budgets on overpaid managers to sit around a table to discuss the cases and then recommend they partake in another rounds of assessment after assessment and stalling on any service delivery.
Most unhelpful - opt out via your GP is you can
An appalling attitude by them. No communications that they would get in touch with patients, first thing we heard they were even getting in touch was when they discharged us for not picking up the phone to withheld numbers -
Given the struggles patients have answering phone calls to thier friend and families, calling under a withheld number and no letter inviting patients to get in touch (the IAPT at least does that) , when they were called, they said there is nothing they can do, tehy called three times, call 111 instead.
Their words were "were busy"
So a suicidal person then has to call 111 (not exactly a sore throat kinds thing) and after an hour of going back and forth, passed pillar to post, the told them to go and call someone else or go through the whole initial assessment again to see if you need a referral.
Awful attitudes from them. They will undoubtedly have contributed to ditress and countless episodes of self harm etc when they just dont care and cant be bothered.

Neil T.

Piss poor service, promises that aren't actioned. I have called several times to chase up my notes to be sent to my Dr. Promised many times that a letter would be sent, weeks months later still waiting. Every time I speak to someone they try to fob me off saying they are very busy.
Absolute joke messing people about.

Cae

If people using The community Mental Health Services at St Mary’s Lodge are pleased or disappointed/ dissatisfied with their experience please report to PALS or IWGC which can be downloaded or a hard copy provided from St Mary’s Lodge. This way the team, managers and Trust get to see what we do well and what we need to change to be better and more responsive to those who need us. Please understand the demand for our service is greater than ever we are very fortunate to work in partnership with Mind, Rethink, CGL and other third sector organisations to offer as many flexible options in an attempt to address as many preferences and needs as possible. We absolutely appreciate respect and embrace that we are all different and will not find the same approach or intervention helpful. Hence, we work with service users, multi agencies where appropriate with relatives and carers to provide treatment and intervention's that meets the individual needs. Our aim is Simply getting the treatment you need when you need it.

Danielle H.

I have missed a call from the team and tried many times today to call back and no answer at all I’m disgusted with the service and there is no support ever given

Fernando P. D.

Waited over 7 months for an appointment with a psychiatrist just to be seen by a supposedly specialised GP, who had little empathy, professionalism, understanding or preparation for treating complex issues.

She gave me a prescription which was not valid with the pharmacy and had to go back for her to fix it. Then she forgot to notify my GP surgery so I could not even get a repeat prescription.

She told me I need to see her again in 2 months but the next appointment is three months later.

Some of the staff are quite rude over the phone too.

A total joke and shame.

Jen

I feel very let down by South Warks MH services over the years & I really recommend not going here alone. Having been referred by an understanding clinical psychologist who wanted me to get an 'official' diagnosis before I could continue under their care (or anyone elses) I am very disappointed this still hasn't happened. A half hour chat of leading questions is not what I'd called a diagnostic assessment. I wasn't at my worst when I attended so I was obviously judged on appearance. I've spoken to three different psychiatrists in less than a year at St Mary's. The first seemed to understand me far better & suggested far more appropriate treatment.

Unfortunately, they appear to have been replaced by someone who said the exact opposite. I sought a second opinion, only to get the same response. It seems therapy on the NHS is a thing of the past and you now get referred to a zoom course on wellbeing with MIND. Completely hopeless in my situation as I've tried to explain. I doubt I'll ever approach NHS MH services again after 20+ years of feeling let down. This seems to be local to South Warks as friends living across the country have had much better care. I am not writing this review for me, I just hope something changes to give people who have no one else the support they desperately need.

Malik

Currently referred to this site for therapy. I have a lot of strong feelings about this place. But I will keep this factual for people considering using them, asking to use them, or trying to get help for a loved one. At Mary’s lodge they either lack the facilities, or the willingness, possibly both, to help people with serious mental health issues. Make sure you get a mental health advocate before using them, you can apply yourself or ask your go surgery if they have a social prescriber who can refer you to a charity with an advocate. Keep all letter correspondence and give copies to your advocate and a family member or friend. Request an advocate is present in correspondence with st Mary’s from start to finish to make sure you are treated fairly. When promises are made and not kept ask your relative/ friend and or advocate to chase things up as the stress of doing it alone is likely to be detrimental to your health.