
I first started my process in January 2025, using right to choose.
There wasn’t a lot of information to choose between providers so I went with the fastest assuming they’d all have to be of a standard to qualify with the NHS. RTN advertised a fast service somewhere up to 12 weeks.
Communication is extremely poor. The stages and processes are not explained. Everything is digital, you’re bombarded With a stream of individual emails directing you to forms or questionnaires that have to be completed on a portal that is unfriendly to use. You receive repeated requests for the same information and it’s not clear if you’ve already completed something on the portal. Links expire before you’ve had a chance to read your email so expect delays.
Support is poor, if you need help when navigating the forms phone lines are open reduced days and hours differ. Email support is slow and if you have any communication impairment this can be further complicated because of misunderstandings, leading to long email exchanges which are exhausting. It’s very hard to get an update on where you are in the process. There is no transparency. All cases will be different so it’s understood exact times can’t be given but it would be helpful to understand the stages and where you are up to and next steps. This doesn’t happen. I made the mistake of leaving them to their own devices to update me and didn’t chase for 3/4 months, finding they had lost some of my test results.
When choosing my first appointment with them online, no information is given on the assessor to make an informed choice so I chose the earliest appointment. The assessor was a graduate fresh out of university, in post for around 6 months. They were not a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist. I was not told this when booking the appointment and offered to go back on the waiting list if I wanted a doctor.
The next stage is with a psychiatrist but it’s a long wait because the initial report by the graduate has to be checked.
The psychiatrist I saw was an outsourced contractor, I had a poor experience with and there was a communication breakdown. Because they are paid for only the allotted time, for which he was late, he cut me off, very abruptly and he did not follow up when he said information would be sent to me about autism screening.
I then received a request to complete an additional test which I later was told was not appropriate. No context is given when you receive these requests and abbreviations and clinical language is used without explanation.
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RTN then did not attach the results to my file or progress my case. I’m still not sure why this was as when I’ve complained it’s not been fully explained to me. This is very worrying as it suggests no one is reviewing your case. There appears to be no safe guards.
I next received a questionnaire titled ‘CV’. This is presumably a precursor to receiving a titration appointment. So I got excited as it’s been 11 months to get to this point. It stand for Cardiovascular by the way. I provide the stats. Then I get three more requests for the same thing.Another indicator no one is monitoring this.
I had my first titration appointment in December and a script was written on the 11th, but I still don’t have my meds (it’s 4th Jan), because RTN use an online pharmacy. I wasn’t told to expect an email registration from a company called Cure Connect. RTN sent me an appointment for a follow up even though I hadn’t received my meds. This is how I found out about Cure Connect. I registered with them and they dispatched my meds without texting me so I had no idea what date to expect them. I was away for Christmas. Turns out they have the wrong phone number for me. Cure connect Are digital only and it’s extremely difficult to get in touch with them as they use two factor authentication to access their portal and it was broken when I tried contacting them. They direct you to the portal when you try and seek help.
They use Royal Mail tracked 24 and I had to organise a redirect. But it’s not guaranteed. So I’ve been waiting in for two days now and still don’t have my meds. I cut my Christmas break short to drive 163 miles to get back for the redirect.
You’re on your own when it comes to navigating Royal Mail and can’t get through to a human.
So if you like digital portals, self service and dealing with three company’s through digital mean, being tied down to home for days on end each month to receive your medication this is the company for you
the irony of course is that you’d struggle with non written instructions and these types of systems when you have ADHD. RTN are unsympathetic to this and say they can’t send patients individual information /instructions about Cure Connect.
Complaining gets you nowhere. They just say they have unprecedented demand and reduced support is temporary. But I’ve read complaints that go back at least 18 months. That’s it temporary, that’s their normal BAU.
I’m not sure if they prioritise private referrals but they’ve clearly bid low for the NHS contract based on volume and cannot handle the workload. We are suffering for it.