‘My catatonic wife repeatedly told she wasn’t a priority’ says husband battling the NHS mental health system

A man who has battled the NHS for decades to get his wife mental health support has been told by A&E staff she was not a priority despite being so unwell she was catatonic.

Steve, a 63-year-old from Hertfordshire, has been supporting his wife, who has schizophrenia, for 30 years and has recalled the “horrific” lack of care she has experienced when at her most ill.

Despite getting to a state of catatonia and becoming a danger to herself, he has been told on multiple occasions his wife was not a priority in A&E and there were no psychiatric beds available.

His story comes as a poll of more than 600 people by the charity Rethink Mental Illness revealed two-fifths of mental health patients reported being told they weren’t sick enough to access NHS care.

The charity, which supports people who suffer from severe mental illness, also found 35% of people reported their condition was considered too severe to be helped.

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Source: The Independent, 25 June 2024