Lacking Insight - Community Law

Lacking Insight[Then], if it’s legal stuff, [I’ll speak to] the legalmember but absolutely last is the psychiatrist.I’ve tried getting second opinions. No matter howhard you try, and in all my hearings, I’ve neverhad one psychiatrist go against the other.RM - ConsumerAssumptions about professionalrelationships: the clinician andthe case managerTo some consumers the review process appearsto be a forum for confirming the treating clinician’sopinion rather than offering any objection to it.There is widespread belief among consumers thata case manager has to support the opinion of thepsychiatrist with whom they work on a professionalbasis so as not to jeopardise that relationship.What do you think the role of case managersare at Board hearings, do you think theyshould come?Well they are in a very difficult situation ’causethey have to uphold the doctor’s viewpoint.Why would they have to uphold thedoctor’s viewpoint?Because they work as a team and if they are notseen to be working as a team that just doesn’t godown good for them anyhow, but they are alsosupposed to be a support for the personso I think it would be hard.TF - ConsumerIt’s all in the reportTo consumers it appears that the psychiatrist’sreport is the only thing that matters to the Board informulating its opinion. Board hearings have takenplace where clinicians were either not asked to offersupporting evidence for their diagnosis or were notasked to respond to a consumer’s version of events.These hearings were also marked by a perceived lackof interest in the testimony of consumers.“Well, they did not writedown notes, nothing tomy knowledge. They didnot ask me to expandon anything, and at nostage did they ask [thetreating clinician] tosupport what he wassaying [when giving]evidence.”GF - ConsumerIn NM’s hearing, in which the clinician presented hisevidence by telephone, the clinician spoke first andthen ended the telephone call to attend to anothermatter. The consumer then offered the Board analternative view of particular events that was notfollowed up. There was no opportunity for theconsumer to challenge the clinician’s evidence.40