The Marlowes Health And Wellbeing Centre - Hemel Hempstead

Purple D.

It’s concerning to see that the fish in the waiting rooms aren’t receiving the proper care they need. Inadequate attention to their well-being can lead to significant problems for these beautiful creatures. For example, fantail goldfish, common plecos, and corydoras catfish have different needs and may not thrive together. It would be beneficial to use sand instead of stones in the aquariums, as the current setup is quite small for their needs. It’s a common misconception that fish grow only to the size of their aquarium; in reality, common plecos can grow quite large. I’ve also noticed some signs of illness in the fish, which is truly concerning. I hope there can be some improvements made to ensure that all the fish can live healthy and happy lives.

Can see why now this place has a poor reputation and set to potentially close from reports. I was not made to feel welcome, upon visiting here as a Carer in January, by a member of staff who was rude and arrogant. So won't be coming back here any time soon.

frd F.

I attended today for my first assessment with a psychologist following my GP referral for suspected borderline personality and I found the psychologist I saw Joy to be pretty dismissive of my issues even saying what I feel doesn't seem too dissimilar to the norm and also lacked empathy at times I made it very clear in my referral I want a diagnosis and then support and therapy yet I was referred to a service that doesn't even conduct diagnostic assessments and I'd have to go through the gp to get a referral to a psychiatrist instead even though I expressed that this is what I wanted the first time and the psychologist I saw also suggested attending social skills sessions for autism trying to pin all my mental health symptoms on my Asperger's syndrome diagnosis when there's clearly separate issues going on independent of that I have a feeling they are not taking my very real concerns around my mental health seriously.

Michelle B.

absolutely horrendous care given to my daughter prescriptions are never ready...my daughters care was supposed to be handed over to go back in feb that still hasn't happened so yet again will have to fight to get her medication 😡 never reply to emails 😡 never call back 😡 is it any wonder so many people have mental health issues with care like this

kadi V.

0 star for their employee andy , if you foreigner don't bother going for adult autism assessment , literally he keep asking stuff like so you want to stay in the UK ? take about my visa and bring issue from my countery rather than paying atention to the symptoms I was trying to tell him , I had to tell him straighit away that I am not trying to get disability benefit etc as I am working and I think my autism is Level 1 with average IQ which does not need a lot of support but I need help to impove my social skill , but apparently to him if you are not british you can not be autistic

David P.

The community mental health team based here are a total shambles and disgrace to the NHS.
For several years now the “care” I have received from them has been quite simply abysmal. The staff blame the pandemic but there were major issues even before that began. I understand mental health services are badly underfunded but this is no excuse for the high level of incompetence I have experienced from my many years of being a patient here.
In the past couple of years or so I have only had three outpatient appointments, all with trainee psychiatrists. At the first appointment I was told I would be seeing a senior psychiatrist at my next appointment, which did not happen. Also, the trainee psychiatrist I saw for the second appointment lacked basic knowledge of my serious mental health diagnosis.
There has been no continuity of care as I have seen many different psychiatrists for several of my previous appointments. I’ve had to repeat the same information over and over again such as what medication I’m taking, what symptoms I suffer with, etc.
There have been multiple clerical errors I’ve had to deal with, such as a letter with the details of another patient included in it and letters and texts for appointments which were sent by mistake. I’ve also been contacted several times asking why I haven’t come in for a depot when I’ve never been prescribed such treatment.
When I was appointed a care coordinator by the name of Abi Banjikealm, she was often late for appointments and sometimes didn’t turn up at all. (One time she had arranged to meet me in town and I made the effort to get there on the bus even though I was very unwell at the time. She didn’t turn up and I had to phone her to find out where she was. She had completely forgotten about our plan to meet there. For someone with a diagnosis as serious as mine this was a very distressing experience).
When I agreed to cease being seen by a care coordinator I went from having some support to having practically none. I believe this transition was too sudden and should have been organised in a much better way.
It has now been five months since my last appointment and I haven’t been contacted by them a single time.
Based on my experience and the other reviews I’ve been reading on here I firmly believe this place should be shut down, to be honest. Please just admit you can’t even provide a basic level of care and that I should just forget trying to receive it. It would probably save both of us (as well as other patients) much time and effort.

Edit: I forgot to mention there is actually one positive out of all this and that's the treatment I've received from the Occupational Therapists, here. I've found them very supportive and competent.. unlike (pretty much) the entirety of the rest of the team!

Lowri W.

Visited the centre for my 4 year old's appointment with the Children's Eye Care Service. The orthoptic assessment was thorough and my son was put at ease by the way the tests were done. Very pleased with the service, location is nice and central for Hemel. Only downside was my appointment was scheduled 15 minutes before the building opens which wasn't ideal!

Eleanor C.

Clinical staff are great. The receptionists are awful. I had to sit and listen for 10 mins this morning whilst two receptionists insulted and belittled one of their colleagues, including impersonating her foreign accent. Disgustingly unprofessional that they would say those things, let alone in front of patients.

Fyzah A.

I have been trying to save my depressed daughters life for over a decade. I fought for ten years to have her assessed. We got 'Connexions' in Hemel- who were more interested in the fact she was a twin instead of doing the job of assessing her, as school and her mother felt something was wrong; no assessments were made and she failed to cope with school. We left without a diagnosis that we had asked for. Total waste of time trying to get solid help. Professionals are getting wages for doing nothing...chit chat.
She is now 25. Finally, we get an appointment with a member of your team . We arrive by car, and find out you cancelled. We remake, and another appointment is given, more weeks of waiting follw and she was in crisis before. Then, the night before, you cancelled yet again but offered a telephone call instead. She didn't know until the morning and spent a second night in high anxiety for the meeting that had, for the second time, no commitment, politeness, or humane care. Playing with people's minds.

She waited by her phone for hours after you said you would call. Nothing... no apology, no explanation, no one bothered to call nor cancel before they left work. Shame on that mental health worker.

She feels like 'nothing' and achieves, eventually, a call to be seen by yourselves, where you consequently make her feel more like a valueless human being, and worsen her mental health. Your letter back to her, has serious mistakes in it, and some made up event mentioned that must belong to another client's experience and they got muddled. . It is truly apalling.

Now she is terrified of what more you will do to her, lift her up and discard whenever you feel.

How could any of you have gone home without telling her you had no intention of seeing or calling her as YOU arrange for her- just to muck her around.

She is so close to losing her home. I cannot cope anymore at my age, and the agreement was she must be assessed for adhd, autism, or some kind of personality disorder, I can't go on suicide watch and cope with her behaviour alone, without help for her
I am appalled at the way you treat mentally ill people. I don't even know what to do to deal with what you keep doing to such a frail girl. You could tip her over the edge with the way you have made her reluctant to trust you again.
Someone could have called to inform her not to bother waiting and why. No excuses, not twice.