Dr Shibu Thomas

Dr Shibu Thomas 2017-08-18 Person 1 5 0

Dr Thomas is a really unhelpful psychiatrist who is a risk to the safety of people who suffer from serious mental health conditions (such as myself). He serves areas around Warwickshire, including Stratford Hospital. I have seen him on numerous occasions, and he did very little to support me (or my friend who also saw him) and he has occasionally been very rude and did not listen to anything I had to say but more importantly he was not properly managing my medication, and eventually decided that he didn't want to give me anymore. He told my friend that self-harming and depression is normal, despite having cut marks all over his arm, and offered no support. I struggle from treatment-resistant anxiety and depression, but have not exhausted all the options listed on the NICE and NHS guidelines. I have already unsuccessfully responded to therapy on numerous occasions, and therefore medication is my last hope at reducing my anxiety. I have to self-medicate using Clonazepam and Tramadol because my anxiety is severe and this helps me immensely, but my psychiatrist did not want to know about it because it went against his idea that no medication would work for me. At the last appointment he made every excuse under the sun so that he wouldn't have to prescribe anything, and even admitted he won't prescribe simply because he doesn't want to, and because I have tried enough medication, but he has only ever initiated one medication in my care! This is unacceptable and really upsetting. He then made an excuse and used it to his advantage throughout the appointment that my anxiety is part of my personality, so I asked him what that meant, and he simply said "there is no treatment for personality" - obviously this was a tactic so that he wouldn't have to prescribe, as most personality disorders can respond to certain psychiatric medication and he had not exhausted any of the third-line or even the second-line options, so clearly it was an excuse. He ignored the advice of my private psychiatrist (who is too expensive) and my psychologist, who both said I needed medication before I undergo more therapy. Because we were so annoyed we refused to leave the room and he threatened to call the police and then accused us of threatening him! Mind you, he didn't end up calling the police because I actually had no problem with him doing that. Instead, he called the receptionist who called his manager. The story is longer, but overall I believe this psychiatrist should not be employed by the NHS as he is not doing his job properly, and making up a whole list of excuses not to prescribe anything. He jumped from one excuse to another during the appointment and this is not acceptable. He is unempathetic and most certainly should not put around people who suffer from serious mental disorders.