'My husband's in crisis and cannot see a GP'

A woman says her husband has been unable to get a face-to-face GP appointment for two months despite saying he is having an ongoing mental health crisis.

Geoff, who is only being identified by his first name, initially tried to see a GP in Devon in December, and the couple says he is still trying.

Their GP surgery told the BBC it had done everything possible from its perspective. Anita and Geoff do not blame the surgery, saying primary care is under pressure.

The government said all practices "must provide face-to-face appointments, especially if someone is in crisis", adding it had "inherited a broken" system. It said it was investing in primary care and "transforming mental health services".

It said this included "recruiting thousands more GPs" and a "funding boost of £1.1bn", plus "hiring over 7,000 mental health workers, expanding NHS talking therapies through the NHS app and piloting six new walk-in neighbourhood health centres across England so patients have access to the vital care they need 24/7".

Geoff's wife Anita began to suspect something was not ok in autumn last year. The couple had been due to go abroad but Anita feared it would not go well.

She was right and, after four nights without sleep, Geoff hit rock bottom.

"I was very scared," Anita explained.

"We had to make him stay in bed - because he wanted to walk. And he has in the past walked to a bridge. And we just didn't know what would happen."

On their return from holiday, Anita contacted their local GP surgery, as Geoff did not want to go to A&E.

His fear of hospitals was such that she also avoided trying the NHS 111 phone number - something she later learned would have provided immediate local support.

But, despite Anita describing his mental turmoil over the phone to receptionists and filling out an online consultation, she says Geoff was not seen by a GP.

Two months on, Geoff has had an appointment with a paramedic practitioner and a phone consultation with a mental health nurse - but still, no face-to-face contact with a doctor.

"I feel we've been left by the wayside," Anita said.

"When suicide could be on the table, you reach out to someone that could just listen in the first instance.

"And, when you don't get that, it's horrible for the person feeling the way they do, and it's horrible for the person trying to support them."

Beccy Baird, a policy fellow from the charity The Kings Fund said in recent years, GPs had reported an increase in demand from patients.

"The demand is caused by a variety of things, such as the fact that there are more conditions that are treatable, and some of these - such as diabetes - are managed entirely in primary care.

"We're also living longer, with increasingly complex conditions.

"On top of this, we're all under pressure to do more, and people expect faster treatment and access - plus GPs report a rise in patients with mental health needs since the pandemic."

The suicide prevention charity the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) says if you are experiencing problems with your mental health, help is out there.

"Make sure that you're there for people that you care about, that you love, and be determined to help," said service director Wendy Richardson.

"Because sometimes when you're the person that's struggling, you find it really hard to kind of navigate what's out there.

"So reach out to charities, look on the website, phone the NHS, find out what's available locally, and don't give up hope, because there are services, and you deserve to get treatment and help."

Geoff is now in a better place thanks to the support of his family, and the medication he has been prescribed. But Anita said it did not mean his problems were over.

"It's not about my husband, it's not about my specific surgery who I've been with for 50 years," Anita explained.

"I just thought, 'good grief, what if this happened to someone that didn't have someone to advocate for them or any support'?

"It's just frightening."

• The NHS said if you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, you should get immediate expert advice and assessment. It said it was important to know that support services were available to access, whatever someone was going through.

• BBC ActionLine can also offer support.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with the patient concerned - all GP practices must provide face-to-face appointments, especially if someone is in crisis.

"This government inherited a broken primary care system after a decade of neglect.

"To turn this around we are rolling out online consultation requests at all GP surgeries to end the 8am scramble, recruiting thousands more GPs and have delivered a funding boost of £1.1bn.

"We are also transforming mental health services, including by hiring over 7,000 mental health workers, expanding NHS talking therapies through the NHS app and piloting six new walk-in neighbourhood health centres across England so patients have access to the vital care they need 24/7."

The NHS advice for anyone in Geoff's position includes contacting NHS 111, adding that specialist local treatment will be available.

For Geoff and Anita, it was hugely helpful - but they still hold out hope that Geoff will get to see his GP.

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