Reply from Nick Ramsay (Welsh Assembly)

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Readers of my blog will probably be aware that I emailed Nick Ramsay regarding my feelings of being let down regarding my mental health. Well he replied and this is his amazingly, pro-active and supportive response:

Hello Mike,

Thank you for your email earlier this week.  I was very sorry to read about your mental health problems and the lack of support  you have received from the NHS over the years. Clearly you fee very strongly about the issue  in view of your own and friends’ personal experiences, but I was pleased to hear that at least you have an excellent mental health advocate who gives you support.

I do have meetings with Mind Cymru and the Chief Executive of Aneurin Bevan Health Board from time to time so I will pass on your views at the next opportunity in the hope that some improvements can be made for sufferers of mental health problems in the very near future. This is also an issue I will be able to discuss further with my colleagues in the Assembly.

Thank you again for contacting me to pass on your comments and some details of your life suffering with mental health issues which I do appreciate need to be taken very seriously as they can often have devastating consequences for both the sufferer and his or her wider family and friends.

Kind regards,

Nick (Ramsay)

I am yet to reply to him and my GP practice manager. So as you can see being extremely assertive and bossy does make things happen. My history of being 'nice' never got me far in regards to health matters.

 I have found it useful to threaten legal action against relevant agencies relating to medical negligence (creating suffering due to failing their duty of care). Campaigning to an MP known to be sympathic to mental health is a powerful thing to do also. I feel it was a powerful move to CC my GP practice manager in the email to the MP. This means that powerful people are all seeing your situation. It means that people can't hide from dealing with your problem. I refuse to be swept under the carpet.

 I was careful to give positive feedback as well as critical feedback when threatening people with legal action. When I phoned my practice manager I was very clear to say the positives and I also made it clear that legal action was my last port of call, and that I hoped that we could move forward in a far more positive way. This hopefully highlighted that I was not trying to beat them in to a metaphorical pulp but that instead I was trying to find a positive resolution. This strategy is essential in getting a good result. It makes it look like you are a good person at the end of your tether and not someone looking to draw blood!

 I'm no expert on legal matters regarding medical negligence. I believe MIND have a section on this on their website. So that's probably worth checking out if you decide to do it. Disclaimer has to be given here though - it's your responsibility to decide what you do or don't do. Take my advice at your own risk!

Good luck whatever you do or don't do :-)

So it looks like I am slowly becoming a mental health campaigner!

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