As a long-term psychiatric patient, I’ve had superior care from the NHS | Psychiatry

I read with interest the letters on psychiatric care in the NHS (July 11), provoked by the criticism of Rachel Clarke on the book of Bella Jackson Fragile Minds (A Furious Assault on NHS Psychiatry, June 30). I have not read the book but, as a long -term psychiatric patient, I would like to make two points.

First, care naturally vary in quality, relevance and success. After three years in unsatisfactory private care (after many previous years in NHS care), I fortunately returned to the NHS. I find its higher care, but by hand by limited resources, which can mean waiting for several months for an appointment. But I have never been badly treated, as Jackson suggests is common, even in the worst state.

Second, I was struck by what Jackson says that a junior doctor told him (as cited by Clarke): “” Let’s be quetiapines today! “And I asked him why Quetiapine, and he said:” They put you in the best hotels for conferences “.” As Clarke says, it’s ridiculous, and certainly the only time I heard “Quétiapine” used as a verb, which seems improbable.

Quétiapine has been a generic drug since 2012 (that is to say open to any business to manufacture and market, just like, let’s say, paracetamol is). I cannot believe that a junior doctor prescribed him in the hope of being installed in a “best hotel” for a conference.

It has long been the first -line treatment of psychosis, and for a good reason: it works. I have been on Quetiapine for 15 years. It is not an enviable position to be, but I am happy that it exists and grateful to those who prescribed it to me.
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