On Thursday, 6 December 2018, HaRD Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body will consider a proposals for the future development of mental health services.
See Opposition widely voiced against the closure of the Briary Unit mental health beds in Harrogate
They will consider a single option of moving inpatient beds to a specialist facility outside of the district, they say that this would save money that could be spent on community services locally to reduce the need for hospital admission.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust say that the proposal follows a two year process to understand the needs and priorities of people who live in Harrogate and Rural District.
See HaRD CCG Governing Body to consider proposals for the future development of mental health services
The Governing Body meetings meeting will be held on 6 December 2018 from 10:00 – 12:30 pm at The Nidderdale Suite, Best Western Dower House Hotel, Bond End, Knaresborough.
The first 20 minutes of the meeting is reserved for questions from the public but after that are closed to public questions, however observers are welcome throughout the meeting. Questions can be submitted at any time prior to the start.
Questions can be submitted beforehand:
In writing to:
Board Secretary to the Governing Body
Harrogate and Rural District Clinical Commissioning Group
1 Grimbald Crag Court, St James Business Park
Knaresborough HG5 8QB
Tel: 01423 799300
Email: hardccg.enquiries@nhs.net
Cllr Jim Clarke, Chair of Scrutiny of Health Committee, said:
As a committee we will be looking at the proposals on the 14 December, but it is unlikely that closing the facility will be supported by the group.
Cllr Geoff Webber said:
This has been on the cards since the health trust (Tyne, Esk and Wear Valley) decided to halt development of replacement facilities on a site at Cardale Park.
The current in-patient facilities in the Briary unit (one ward for mental health and the other for dementia) were declared “not fit for purpose” by the Care Quality Commission some time ago and plans were made for replacement facilities, together with sheltered housing etc. on a large site at Cardale Park.
The site was purchased by the health trust but development plans were frozen in July 2017.
Since then there have been several public meetings to gather views but I have always suspected that the decision to move our in-patient facilities to York or Middlesborough had already been taken and that the consultation was window dressing.
A public meeting would be one where the public can participate throughout the meeting. The Governing Body meetings are a fundamental part of our governance and take place in public. The first 20 minutes of the meeting are reserved for questions from the public but after that are closed to public questions, however observers are welcome throughout the meeting. Questions can be submitted at any time prior to the start of the meeting at 10 a.m. and we will have staff present before the meeting on the day to take questions. In addition questions can be sent to us through any of the following ways:
Surely local people suffering from mental health issues will feel more comfortable being treated locally and are not going to be helped by transferring them out of the district. A terrible idea !
The need for a mental health unit to remain in Harrogate is reflected by the amount of mental health patients who are initially taken out of area , until a bed becomes available at the Briary, which is mostly full !
Patients with mental health issues need to have their family and friends near to them when they are in hospital.
They also need the familiarity of their surroundings, not be taken miles away from loved ones and areas they recognise as home.
This proposal is bad on many levels as the provision of mental health care locally with both intervention and crisis provision is essential for not just patients but family, friends and colleagues to be involved in a persons recovery. Mental health staff do a fantastic job and are very dedicated and need these resources and hospital care to provide help to those who need it in the area. The cost of people not receiving the help and care they are entitled to and need is not pounds, shilling and pence but on that note this proposition will cost more with emergency admissions and crisis interventions and will be quite frankly disastrous. The MP Mr Jones should not be sitting on the fence as he is elected to his role and I hope he is challenged by many of his constituents who elected him on this stance even as a cross party issue. The Briary Unit opened in 1992 as a modern leading facility by the then Secretary of State because of the demand for this service in the area, the day service closed several years back sadly and now the entire Briary Unit is being lost. A truly sad day and a massive set back just at a time of so much future uncertainty and when mental health provision is already stretched to absolute limit through lack of resource and budget cuts .