"Refusal "

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding the care I received at St John’s Therapy Centre in Wandsworth, and to seek information about safer local support services now that I am actively working toward recovery.

Approximately 2 to 3 months ago, during a period of active drug use, I attended St John’s Therapy Centre at 5:25pm on a Friday to access the needle exchange service. Although the service is advertised as operating until 5:30pm, I was turned away because a staff meeting was about to begin and the stockroom had already been locked. This meant the service was effectively closed early.

When I requested a referral note to assist with obtaining clean needles from the pharmacy across the road, I was refused. That pharmacy does not supply injecting equipment. As a result, old equipment had to be reused over the weekend, which led to the spread of Hepatitis C and an increased risk of infection due to shared use.

I found this lack of compassion and consideration from a healthcare provider extremely distressing. The staff involved were aware of the potential risks but showed no sense of urgency or responsibility. I believe this reflects a failure in duty of care, especially for a vulnerable and at-risk patient population.

Now that I am actively seeking support in the Wandsworth area, I would be grateful for guidance on safer, more reliable harm reduction and recovery services currently available.