Council accuses NHS trust of misleading members over mental health services

North Yorkshire’s health watchdog has taken the unusual step of accusing an NHS trust of misleading a council and is set to issue health bosses with a letter of complaint.

Ahead of raising its concerns before a full meeting of North Yorkshire County Council, the authority’s scrutiny of health committee said Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust had failed to give correct information to councillors examining major changes to mental health provision.

Councillors fear changes to in-patient bed provision will mean in future patients from many areas of North Yorkshire will face having to travel to hospitals in the Tees Valley for treatment.

The committee’s chairman Councillor Jim Clark said the trust’s chief executive Colin Martin had been left to explain conflicting statements made by the trust in December and at a meeting of the North Yorkshire, York and Leeds scrutiny of health committee last week, including that:

• There would be no loss of mental health in-patient beds in North Yorkshire as a result of mental health wards closing at Harrogate hospital (December). In-patient beds being closed in Harrogate would not be replaced (February).
• The decision not to proceed with building a mental health hospital in Harrogate had been jointly made by the trust and Harrogate and District clinical commissioning group, (December). The decision not to proceed with the Harrogate building was a decision of the trust’s chief executive (February).
• There would be numerous extra beds provided at the new York mental health hospital to replace those no longer being provided in Harrogate (December). There will be no extra beds provided at the York facility (February).

Cllr Clark said it a letter of complaint about the disparities in information would be sent to the trust, which would be asked for an explanation.

He said: “It now looks as if we will have to take Harrogate patients to Darlington or to Middlesbrough, but that is yet to be decided.

“It is important that the NHS takes scrutiny of health seriously and that they should be as transparent as possible. It is not acceptable that we have a situation where nationally there is millions of pounds being spent on mental health, not before time, and yet there are beds being cut in Harrogate and Northallerton.”

In response, a spokesperson for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust said: “There were various points raised at the recent Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. We are working with the members to address these and we continue to provide updates and assurance.

“There has been extensive work undertaken over the last two years by the Trust and Harrogate and Rural District Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body to understand the mental health service needs and priorities for people who live in Harrogate and Rural District. Throughout this process we continue to engage and involve the local communities as well as our partners and stakeholders.

“In late 2018 Harrogate and Rural District CCG approved a proposal which would see enhanced investment in community mental health services and provision of inpatient services in specialist facilities outside the district, possibly in York.

“Conversations will continue in the months ahead with people across Harrogate and Rural District, working particularly closely with service users and their families and carers, as well as our partners including North Yorkshire County Council to further develop the proposals.”