MP demands inquiry over Bootham Park closure, as 2,000+ sign petition

She spoke as negotiators remained locked in talks over who would continue to run mental health services in York.

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was due to hand over responsibility to the Tees, Esk & Wear Valley NHS Trust (TEWV) by Thursday but this evening they have still had not signed the contract with Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group.

The complexity of the reorganised NHS with commissioners, providers, regulators and infrastructure bodies was responsible for meaning nine months passed before essential suicide prevention work to the eighteenth century hospital could be carried out, Ms Maskell said.

This led to the closure of Bootham Park Hospital with highly vulnerable patients being moved mid-rehabilitation as no-one oversaw the numerous NHS bodies involved in ensuring the work to improve the hospital was done, Ms Maskell said.

Ms Maskell, MP for York Central, said: "It has become evident that huge risk has been created as a result of the complexity of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 where conflicting interests and politicisation of the system has manufactured this situation.

"I have now put calls into the Minister for Mental Health and the Secretary of State for Health to call for an independent inquiry into Bootham Park to ensure that patient safety can never be put at risk again, and to support an emergency plan to secure the long term health plan for those with mental health challenges in York".

Rachael Maskell MP has called for an independent inquiry into Bootham Park

Among the organisations involved in making the improvements outlined by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was NHS commissioners Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England, NHS property services, which own the building, and Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which was responsible for running mental health services in York.

English Heritage was also responsible for overseeing proposed work at the Grade I-listed Bootham Park Hospital which the CQC said had not been done in an announced inspection earlier this month.

Ms Maskell is holding a public meeting at West Offices from 4pm on Thursday to meet people affected by yesterday's closure of Bootham Park Hospital.

She says many people have contacted her with concerns.

> UPDATE: Ms Maskell has barred the media from today's meeting. If you are attending and wish to talk to the media about the issues raised, or that you plan to raise, you can email our newsdesk or phone 01904 567131.

Bootham Hospital staff are all still working and Ms Maskell said she has assurance of no immediate loss of jobs.

Families are also due to have their travel costs met if they go to visit former Bootham patients sent out of area, she added.

So far, more than 2,000 people had signed a petition calling to stop the closure of Bootham Park Hospital and fund an immediate refurbishment.

Sarah Dodsworth, regional director for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Yorkshire and the Humber, said yesterday: “We are extremely concerned for the well-being of the patients affected by the closure of Bootham Park Hospital and for the welfare of the staff who work at the site.

"The patients cared for at this site are vulnerable to the effects of this kind of major disruption and knowing that some of them are to be transferred up to 50 miles away from their home base is very disturbing news. This will put an extra strain on the patients themselves and their families and friends who may struggle to visit with the same regularity.

“There are 400 people who are outpatients at the facility also facing potentially harmful disruption as they will be transferred to other unfamiliar centres across the district. For someone undergoing treatment for a mental health condition this kind of change could be unnecessarily damaging and there is also a danger that patients could get lost in the system.

“It has been known for some time that the buildings at Bootham Park were inadequate yet no long term solution has been found and now we are faced with a sudden closure at short notice.

“The RCN is offering support to any members who may be affected by this closure and will support any moves to ensure that the patients involved are cared for safely and as close to home as possible.”

All of the Bootham patients have now moved out - up to ten to Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough, two to Acomb Gables recovery unit in York and about 15 patients discharged home with packages of care to support them.

A FORMER patient at Bootham Park Hospital has said the decision to close the facility is a concerning and short term solution.

Hayley Harteveld from York suffered from severe postnatal depression and psychosis after the birth of her second child. 

She decided to seek help at the hospital and said that while it was run down, patients were well looked after.

"The condition was not great however it was safe and staff were around 24/7," she said, "I never felt at risk at any time. There were cracks in the ceiling and there were cracks in the walls, it wasn't particularly warm or it was too hot. 

"This is a 1777 building. It's old but, however beautiful, it's not fit for mental health services, we need somewhere safe. It was old and run down and you did see potential ligature risk. 

"They have left it to now say 'we will close it'. It's a very short term solution. The mental health risks left now will mean people being left in the community.

"We need to focus on the strain it will put on the police and the families affected by mental health issues." 

Earlier this week Dr Bob Adams, former senior psychiatrist at Bootham Park, echoed many of Hayley's concerns in writing for The Press. 

He said: "I am concerned for the future of good, local NHS psychiatric care in York. Not one local bed for working age adults will be provided in York itself. It seems to me it is high time someone at a higher level in NHS management takes notice and does something before it is too late."

THE closure of Bootham Park Hospital to patients on Wednesday came as City of York Council announced £60,000 plans for a new "social prescribing" scheme.

City of York Council is currently advertising for a leader of a "social prescribing project" which allows GPs to prescribe activities such as befriending, confidence building, healthy lifestyle building or budgeting advice for the first time. 

They said conditions such as depression, anxiety and weight-related problems can be treated very effectively through social prescribing and will be made possible with £60,000 funding from the council.

A new Social Prescribing Co-ordinator will be appointed shortly to co-ordinate the initiative.

An advert on the council website advertises a 21 hour a week roll at about £22,000 pro rata to work alongside Priory Medical Group to implement the programme.

Lesley Godfrey, a GP with Priory Medical Group and clinical lead of the York Integrated Care Team, said:

“We’re looking forward to working with the community and voluntary sector to create and implement a social prescribing scheme.

"It is anticipated that this will enable the residents of City of York improved access to the support and advice that is currently already available locally, by encouraging referrals from health professionals”.

UP to 400 people a week attend Bootham Park Hospital for outpatient appointments with psychiatrists, nurses, counsellors and other health care practitioners. 

This includes medical outpatients, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service and psychology services. 

For patients normally seen at Bootham Park as outpatients, arrangements have now been made: 

• Community outpatients and those receiving Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) - From Monday, October 5 these patients will be seen at the Lime Trees unit which is located at 31 Shipton Road, York YO30 5RE. People can contact the unit via Bootham Park Hospital reception on 01904 294600. 
• Psychology services - From Monday, October 5, these patients will be seen at Cherry Tree House, 218 Fifth Avenue, Heworth, York YO31 0PN. The telephone number is 01904 294 865.
• Patients who require Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) - These patients will now receive this service at York Hospital which is on Wigginton Road, York YO31 8HE. Telephone: 01904 631 313. 

If anyone cares for someone affected by the closure of Bootham Park Hospital, they can contact York Carers Centre for support and advice on 01904 715490 or enquiries@yorkcarerscentre.co.uk