Increased demand for services

The Lamp advocacy team is currently operating on an urgent priority basis. This means that anyone who has an urgent appointment where support is desperately needed to achieve a significant outcome will get an advocate within four weeks.

For anyone else with routine appointments and issues, such as a routine psychiatry or GP appointment, they will have to wait slightly longer, potentially up to six months at the rates of current demand.

We are working incredibly hard to reduce this, but demand has significantly increased over the last six months and client needs have become even more complex. Plus, other services have longer waiting lists which impact our ability to advocate efficiently due to a lag in appointments from NHS clinics and services.

The team are working together to pave a way through the backlog, which could lead to changes in the way the service operates. However, we want to assure clients and stakeholders that we will ensure each client is contacted and that they will receive a service from us as soon as we are able.