By David Smith

I write this as a resident of York, ex-Chief Exec of York Mind and current Chief Exec of Hull and East Yorkshire Mind. I have spoken to many people who have used services in the past and are currently using services in York and East Yorkshire.

Much has been said about the sudden closure of Bootham Park Hospital in the autumn of 2015. Despite inquiries and scrutiny hearings establishing who is accountable appears to have been impossible.

However frustrating, this is now in the past. What is important is to look to the future and ensure appropriate inpatient provision is re-established at the very earliest opportunity. The status quo is simply unacceptable.

Recently a range of possible locations were announced and a series of public consultations have been held: http://ow.ly/OdqJ300acXC This concerns me. I know how controversial planning decisions can be and I have no doubt the prospect of a new inpatient facility will lead to complaints and concern in some of the areas suggested.

York Press:

Bootham Park Hospital

Surely before we start naming potential sites for a new hospital there are a couple of other things we should think about….

1. From the outset there appears to have been an assumption that the current building at Bootham Park is unsuitable. I am yet to be convinced by this. With the support from English Heritage (which I understand they gave some time ago) considerable changes could be made to the interior of Bootham. A complete refurbishment. This would not be cheap but when balanced against the costs of an entirely new hospital the price might start to seem more attractive. This option should be properly and independently explored.

Bootham is well located, on a large site, close to the acute hospital and city centre. That’s to be balanced against the negative impact its history has on some, its listed status and value as a saleable asset.

2. We have yet to clearly establish the bed requirement for York and its surrounding area. There is quite correctly a drive within the NHS to reduce bed numbers and support people to stay well in the community. Whilst a laudable aim, what guaranteed changes will we have that allows this to happen? Many previous initiatives have failed to stem the demand for inpatient beds. What will be different this time? If the calculation is wrong and insufficient beds are provided the result will be back to where we are now; out of area placements with all the disruption and difficulties they bring.

Before we leap ahead looking at locations and blueprints there are some fundamental questions we need to answer.

What is needed?

What is already available?

What money is available?

How quickly is it needed?

Who is responsible for making it happen?

These simple questions are the ones I urge people to ask. The promise of a ‘state of the art’ facility is an enticing one but this must be developed on solid evidence and not become a distraction to underlying problems. Let’s not forget many of the reasons the CQC gave for closing Bootham Park were related to basic maintenance and staffing – issues that could recur in even the flashiest of new hospitals.