A PROTEST has been held over mental health provision in York at a meeting of health service chiefs.

Defend Our NHS York and York People’s Assembly gathered outside City of York Council’s West Offices yesterday where the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group was meeting.

Campaigners were raising concerns over waiting times for therapy, bed shortages and the reorganisation of St Andrew’s psychotherapy unit.

One protester, who asked not to be named, said: “I’m on an 18-month waiting list for cognitive behavioural therapy despite repeatedly having suicidal thoughts.

“There’s no support at all for people at the moment.”

As reported in The Press, there are huge backlogs for people waiting for NHS counselling in York and Selby, with hundreds of people in need of high-intensity counselling for conditions including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder being put on a 14-month waiting list.

Some 200 other people suffering from conditions including mild and moderate depression and anxiety are on a four-month waiting list for low-intensity counselling.

Service users have also expressed concerns about the availability of other services.

The Vale of York CCG, which has paid for health services since April, is under significant pressure. It inherited a £3.5 million deficit from the Primary Care Trust and faces further Government cutbacks.