Abbey Wright is calling for mandatory home visits for patients with severe mental health issues after her father, Phil Wright, took his own life last month. The 58-year-old from Lancashire had been unable to leave his house or speak on the phone due to severe depression, yet the NHS refused to send a doctor to his home.
Ms Wright told The Independent that her father's doctors sent a sympathy card after his death, which she ripped up. 'I thought if you had done your job properly, you wouldn’t have to give sympathy for what happened,' she said. The family had repeatedly asked for a home visit after Phil's breakdown in October, but were told it was not possible and he would have to attend appointments by phone.
'It baffled me,' Ms Wright said. 'I thought, what are we meant to do now? I can’t drag a fully grown man to the doctor, kicking and screaming.' She believes a phone appointment is insufficient to assess mental health, as clinicians cannot see body language or anxiety. 'You need to see that in person to be able to fully understand they’re not well.'
Phil's surgery, Gresleydale Healthcare Centre, said it was 'extremely saddened' and that its policy includes home visits for patients unable to leave home, with each case assessed individually. It has launched a review of its contacts with Mr Wright and his family.
Gemma Byrne of mental health charity Mind said: 'For anyone experiencing severe mental health problems, access to the right support is crucial. Where people need face-to-face, human support, we must be able to deliver it.' The government recently announced a new mental health strategy aiming to shift from crisis intervention to preventative care.
