‘Sick system’ leaves bipolar patients facing 10-year delays
DECADE-long diagnosis delays and inconsistent care mean the NHS is failing those people with bipolar disorder, a report claims.
The severe mental illness is thought to affect more than one million in the UK, causing extreme changes in mood and energy.
At least one in 20 suicides is linked to the condition, which costs the economy some £20billion each year.
But an 18-month review by the Bipolar Commission found patients wait on average 9½ years for a diagnosis – with the group’s co-chairman Professor Guy Goodwin warning the “system has become sick”.
Experts said some sufferers “slip under the radar” with symptoms mistaken for depression, teenage angst or a result of drug addiction.
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And after diagnosis, too many receive inconsistent care in which they are bounced between GPs and specialists, the report said. It estimated that six in ten do not receive dedicated treatment or support.
Prof Goodwin, who is also emeritus professor of psychiatry at Oxford University, insisted those with the condition need more specialist support before they reach a crisis point.
He said: “Psychiatric services see patients when they are acutely ill. They often require acute treatment, commonly admission to hospital or intensive treatment at home.
“But once recovered, they are discharged back to the care of their general practitioner. That model we think simply doesn’t work.”
More than half of patients had been hospitalised after relapsing. People with bipolar live an estimated 10 to 15 years less than the general population.
Sufferers are 20 times more likely to take their own lives – with one poll suggesting more than a third attempt suicide before they get a diagnosis.
Prof Goodwin also highlighted the under-prescribing of treatments such as mood stabiliser lithium, viewed as the gold standard for this care.
The report looked at more than 7,000 people living with bipolar and involved in-depth interviews with 100-plus expert witnesses.
The Bipolar Commission’s recommendations include an awareness campaign about symptoms, specialist training in the NHS to help medics spot signs, and screening for the disorder in anyone who attempts suicide.
The authors also called for patients to build long-term relationships with an expert in bipolar and for more sufferers to be encouraged to try lithium.
Further suggestion were better discharge support after hospitalisation and extra help for women dealing with pregnancy or menopause.
Simon Kitchen, from the charity Bipolar UK, said: “Experts are asking policy makers to act urgently, focusing on quicker diagnosis through specialist frontline medical training and easier access to consistent care for people with bipolar.”