More than a third of respondents in Wales (36%) have said their last GP mental health appointment failed to meet their needs, research released by Mind Cymru today shows.
Only half (52%) came away from their most recent appointment feeling hopeful and a similar amount (50%) reported having been treated unfairly in the past 12 months when seeking help for their mental health. This is despite the vast majority (85%) feeling like their GP listened carefully to what they had to say during their last appointment.
Results from the survey, in which 1,570 adults in Wales feature, can be found in Mind’s latest ‘Big Mental Health Report’ which will be launched on 16th October. The charity is calling for an overhaul of primary care services ahead of next year’s Senedd elections.
Ahead of the report’s release, Mind Cymru has heard from one woman in Bridgend who faced a month long wait for a GP appointment despite being suicidal, resulting in her reaching crisis point and going to A&E for help. She has been diagnosed with Complex PTSD and said:
“I had been seeing a psychiatrist around once a year since 2017, but in 2020 I had a letter to say I’d missed an appointment and was therefore referred back to my GP. I was sure I hadn’t, but I had no opportunity to stay under the care of the Psychiatrist.
“I was suicidal and constantly thinking about ending it as I just didn’t think I could carry on living. It was a constant battle to get back into the system.
“I thought ‘I’m not worth anything’. I felt like I was being a constant pain, but the reason I was reaching out was I didn’t want to feel like I did. I was really unwell at that time and the waiting made me worse. During my last crisis I developed psychosis. I ended up in A&E multiple times and that was not what I needed.
“I ended up leaving my job and in a really frightening place mentally because I wasn’t able to get the support I needed.”
In the run up to the 2026 Senedd elections, Mind Cymru is calling on the next Welsh Government to prioritise the delivery of Wales’ latest 10-year Strategy for Mental Health and overhaul the current system of care.
This includes making sure plans to provide same-day access to mental health support for everyone in Wales become a reality and prioritising the rising mental health needs of children and young people too.
More collaboration between public and voluntary sector healthcare providers, to help alleviate the pressure on services, is also something the charity would like to see.
Sue O’Leary, Executive Director at Mind Cymru, said: “People in Wales are waiting too long, or are simply unable in some cases, to access the right kind of mental health support when they need it. This is impacting people’s relationships, their ability to work, their physical health and their overall sense of self-worth.”
“GPs and voluntary sector providers are often doing all they can, but the current healthcare system simply isn’t working for people with mental health needs in Wales today.”
“The next Welsh Government must deliver on plans to create an open access service, prioritising same day referrals for people needing mental health support.”
