HEALTH leaders in York have met with residents to debate whether the NHS is in crisis and how local services can be improved in the future.

York Older People’s Assembly organised the question and answer session with expert speakers Dr Andrew Phillips, of the Vale of York CCG, Chris Butler, of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) and Mike Proctor, of York Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The speakers agreed on many issues, including the necessity to integrate NHS services. However opinions differed on whether the NHS was in crisis.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Proctor, the deputy chief executive at York Hospital, said he believes the hospital is currently a far safer place to be treated than it has ever been.

He said: “The challenge is working in a new collaborative, better way. If we don’t do that, we will be in crisis and then cuts will happen regardless of need.”

To illustrate his point, Mr Proctor said some patients were staying in acute hospital beds costing £250 a day but that patients could not be discharged for the want of £300 a week to fund community support.

Recruiting staff to fill vacancies was a greater challenge to the hospital than a lack of money, Mr Proctor said.

He pointed out that the trust spent £10 million on locums last year when permanent staff members would have cost millions less. However, Dr Phillips told the audience that 42 per cent of GPs believe the NHS in in poor health.

He said the priority had to be integrating services.

He concluded the NHS is “in crisis in certain parts of the system, but we have a plan”.

Mr Butler, chief executive of LYPFT, said: “I believe there are major challenges but I’m confident in the expertise of my colleagues. I know that unless we face these challenges together, we will see the service fall apart on its own.”