Terror attack victims let down by NHS mental health services

Victims of terror attacks are waiting up to 14 months for their trauma to be treated by NHS mental health services, the biggest study of its kind reveals today.

Some of the adults and children injured, bereaved or caught up in terror attacks have become so desperate they have paid for their treatment rather than wait any longer.

More than three quarters (76%) of the 271 survivors of terror attacks who took part in the unique study said they felt let down and believed mental health services require improvement. Three quarters of those felt the improvement needed should be “dramatic.”

Ruth Murrell, who was seriously injured with her daughter Emily, 14, in the Manchester terror attack, revealed she considered suicide after being told it would take up to a year to be treated for her post-traumatic stress which included sleeplesness and flashback. Her daughter waited 11 months.

“I couldn’t cope. There was a period when I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat and was vomiting constantly. I’m ashamed to say it now but at the time I considered ending it all,” she said.

“I had to find my own specialists and go private, at £85 an hour, to get the support I desperately needed. My daughter was 12 and her experience was just as bad.

“Mental Health Services are already overstretched before such events and there simply aren’t the trained resources available to deal with PTSD, particularly when it comes to acts of terrorism.”

Student Travis Frain, 20, who suffered  multiple injuries including a broken leg when he was hit by Khalid Masood’s car on Westminster Bridge, paid for counselling from his student loan after waiting over six months. “You would have hoped, there would be some help but there wasn’t,” he said.

Another victim said: “Mental health services are diabolical here, I still haven’t seen a psychologist 14 months after the event.”

One resorted to going public on TV to get help for their daughter: “It took 11 months after the attack and my highlighting the lack of child mental health care on a TV program to get help for my daughter.”

The families are to hand the report, conducted by the charity Survivors Against Terror with research firm Kantar, and an open letter to Downing Street today (Wed).

Charlotte Dixon Sutcliffe, Chair of Survivors Against Terror said the “shocking” stories exposed by the survey appeared to be “increasingly like the norm.”

These included “survivors forced to pay for their own treatment, children denied help ending up harming themselves and long waiting lists for people who urgently need support.

“Governments promise survivors they will be looked after but this survey shows that when it comes to mental health services they are being routinely let down.”

The crisis in mental health services contrasts with terror victims experiences of other services which were rated by 80% of respondents as good, very good or exceptional.

NHS hospital care came top of the satisfaction stakes with 80% finding their support very good or exceptional (65% of people found their care exceptional).

Some 60% felt the support they received from paramedics was very good or exceptional, only 5% found it poor.

The police scored similarly highly with 59% scoring them as very good or exceptional and only 9% poor.

Longer term police support was even more highly supported with 71% rating their support as very good or exceptional.