WIDESPREAD fears have been raised over the capacity of York's new mental health hospital.

A public consultation on where the replacement for Bootham Park Hospital should be and how many beds it should have has drawn 387 responses.

Most believe it should go on the Bootham site but more than half said they do not believe the number of planned beds is enough for a growing population, a report has shown.

Health bosses have suggested the new hospital, due to open by December 2019, should have 60 beds - ten fewer than the Vale of York currently has.

There are currently 70 mental health beds in York - 24 general adult beds and 46 for older people including dementia patients - but new plans based on a nationally used calculation suggest 30 general beds for adults and 30 for older people. This would mean a cut of 13 specialist dementia places.

A report into the consultation, which was presented to the governing body of the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, on Thursday, said: “Several comments reflected upon the demographics of an increasingly elderly population and questioned whether there would be enough beds to accommodate the predicted ageing profile of the population.

"A high proportion of the responses touched on instances where patients believed there to be a ‘lack of availability of local beds’ within York. One patient wrote that it was a trauma when her husband was sent to an out-of-area hospital and another advocated that it can be ‘detrimental to care.’”

From three suggested sites, nearly 50 per cent of people preferred Bootham Park, 31.8 per cent Haxby Road and 18.8 per cent Clifton Park.

York Press:

Of those living with a mental health condition, nearly 65 per cent preferred Bootham.

A central location, transport links and green space made the site more attractive.

Recommendations made from the report include seeking assurance that enough beds have been included in the plans.

An outline business case is expected to be completed by March and presented to NHS bosses in May with a full business case ready for December.

The CCG report states that the organisation does not have final say on the chosen site for the hospital. “This report sets out a number of recommendations based on the feedback gathered throughout the 16 week public consultation and the CCG will use the information and data collected to inform its plans... the final decision on the most appropriate site is out of the direct control of the CCG.

"Further work is required to fully assess the suitability of the proposed sites. Feedback from the consultation will form part of the final appraisal of sites that meet the required criteria."

York Press:

If you are suffering mental health problems or have concerns about someone, the following organisations can help:

  • Samaritans offer 24 hour, confidential emotional support service for anyone in distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings on 116 123
  • The NHS 24/7 crisis service in York can be contacted on 01904 610700. The service is for people with acute mental health problems or who are a significant risk to themselves or others.
  • If you have concerns that someone is unwell and not getting the help they need City of York Council’s assessment team can be contacted on 01904 555111. The emergency out of hours number is  0845 034 9417.
  • If you feel somebody is at serious risk of harm you should call 999 and report your concerns.
  • York Mind offers support to people recovering from mental ill health on 01904 643364.