A Dumbarton woman battling cancer says she feels let down by mental health support services as restrictions impact on appointments.
The woman, who does not wish to be named, said she is unhappy with the support she has been receiving from the Riverview Resource Centre at Dumbarton Joint Hospital amid the pandemic.
The 62-year-old usually receives face-to-face support but her appointment was cancelled earlier this month due to restrictions and she says she is struggling without contact.
NHS services have had to adapt due to lockdown with phone and video calls replacing many face-to-face appointments.
But the woman says this isn’t enough and hit out after claiming staff advised her to purchase a smartphone to make it easier. It also comes after she experienced delays to cancer treatment due to Covid.
She said: “I’ve been receiving mental health support for some years but since I was diagnosed with cancer in September, the Riverview Resource Centre hasn’t supported me very well at all.
“After my diagnosis my community psychiatrist nurse told me I obviously needed extra support. She came out the following week but I didn’t get a call back from the psychiatrist until almost a month later.
“In the meantime I live on my own and am completely isolated with nowhere to turn.
“I’m not sleeping.”
She added: “I was due to have a home visit last week but got a call in the morning to say it had been cancelled because of the Covid restrictions.
“I told them that I’m shut in the house 24 hours a day. I was told that it would be easier if I got a smartphone so they could do video calls with me. I can’t afford to get a smartphone and I’d have to get the internet.
“There’s nothing to suit people like me who are the forgotten generation.
“There won’t just be a Covid pandemic, there will be a mental health and cancer pandemic because the services aren’t there.”
The woman was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September after having a positive screening test in July but it was left untreated for months due to the pandemic.
She had an operation to remove part of her bowel in November.
Last month, the Scottish Government announced a planned investment of up to £114.5million to improve cancer services.
It includes a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to give each patient access to a key support worker, which was delayed by the onset of Covid-19.
The woman added: “I should be receiving more mental health support with everything going on but it’s not been there when I’ve needed it the most. Macmillan Cancer Support have been there for me though and they have been great.”
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said mental health services need more support and resources to cope.
She said: “Mental health services are badly stretched and are at breaking point. The coronavirus pandemic has put a huge strain on the system and has had a terrible impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing. Locally, our mental health services try very hard to help people but they need more support and resources from the Scottish Government or they risk being overwhelmed.”
After we contacted West Dunbartonshire HSCP, a spokesperson said they were sorry the woman was unhappy with the support and said they have been in touch with her since.
They said: “We do understand the pandemic has had a detrimental effect on people’s mental health, particularly those already receiving treatment.
“Each patient who receives support and treatment from us has been individually assessed, to allow us how best to meet their needs. This is based on a risk assessment of the level of need.”
