>>Kathy Wilson: I had a breakdown. I was drinking a lot. I was in an awful lot of debt.
My house was repossessed and technically I was homeless.
>>Andrea Butcher: We had a real issue in Doncaster around access. We were getting complaints
from our patients who were evidently not able to get treatment quickly. Our GPs were very
frustrated because they couldn’t access any services at that particular point in time.
I was approached by Rotherham, Doncaster South Mental Health Trust, who had a very good idea
a new pathway concept that they wanted to try out in Doncaster which was Talking Shop
>>Jim Macdonald: The concept about this place
was it was on the high street. It was easy accessibility. People could come in. They
didn’t have to make an appointment or a GP, they could come in, they could browse
for the information that they wanted. They could speak to a therapist, they could have
a consultation. It just makes it really easy.
>>Kathy Wilson: In the last twelve months, I went through a kind of mini crisis. I knew
at that stage I could walk in here off the street and see somebody pretty much straight
away which is actually what happened.
>>Jim Macdonald: We’ll do a 15 minute consultation with people if that’s required, work out
what are these problems that have brought you in here today really. From there we can
signpost, support and link in with other services that might be appropriate for them.
>>Kathy Wilson: The fact that this place
is on the high street, and it doesn’t say we are here for people with mental illness,
it’s not emblazoned across the front of the shop, that makes a huge difference. Because
anybody seeing you walk in the door… they don’t know what you’ve come in for.
>>Tim Godley: People come with a variety of
problems, they might have had a relationship breakdown, they might have employment issues,
financial difficulties, and just wanting to come in and be signposted out into the community
to the appropriate service. People might come in quite distressed. It’s a wide variety
of problems that people present with.
>>Therapist: So you’re managing to do not everything that you were able to do but at
least stay reasonably active/
>>Kathy Wilson: Yeah, I think more mentally active than anything. Keeping myself focused
on things really.
>>Therapist: You’re making sure you’re
not isolating yourself too much.
>>Kathy: That’s right- yeah.
>>Jim Macdonald: From when the service began in 2007, we were looking at 0.3% of people
self referring, and now we’ve got that nearer 23% - so that’s a big increase, but I think
there’s still more work to do.
>>Tim Godley: In 2006-7 we averaged 4,500 referrals into the service. For the last two
years, we’ve got 10,500 referrals in. So the demand for the service has increased.
We’ve also received excellent patient feedback and feedback that’s been really positive
from the GPs, local community and other services.
>>Andrea Butcher: As a model and as an approach, it’s a really collaborative approach in
terms of working with the 3rd sector, working with the key stakeholders. It’s improved
access for all out patients in Doncaster so I think it encompasses all the key principles
of the Mental Health Taskforce. And you can actually ses it working in this environment.
>>Kathy: I can honestly say it is the best thing that ever happened to me coming here.
The talking shop… if it wasn’t here… I don’t know where I would be.
I really don’t