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15
Oct
MP calls in Parliament for action on 'dangerous crisis' in NHS mental health trust
The NHS trust responsible for mental health services in the Harrogate district has come in for some sharp criticism in the House of Commons from local MP Tom Gordon.
The Harrogate and Knaresborough MP used his first ever Prime Minister’s Question to demand urgent action over the "failures" of Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).
Mr Gordon spoke out in Parliament after hearing from growing numbers of local people about how they were failed by the trust, including from families who lost loved ones while under its care.
A press release issued by Mr Gordon's office said that MPs across the North East and North Yorkshire had raised similar concerns, which pointed to a "deep and dangerous crisis" in how the trust is run.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Gordon said that a lack of local beds for mental health patients was causing patients from Harrogate and Knaresborough to be sent as far away as York, Middlesbrough, or even to Glasgow and Southampton.
Warning of the "devastating impact" on vulnerable people and their families, he branded the situation “completely unacceptable”.
Mr Gordon said:
No one should be sent hundreds of miles from home in the middle of a mental health crisis, but that’s the reality for too many in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
This isn’t just a service under pressure; it’s one that’s fundamentally broken. TEWV has been letting families down for far too long, and the Government must step in now to stop further harm.
An inquiry may come, but families can’t wait. They need action now, and I’ll keep fighting alongside MPs from all parties to make sure they get it.
The Stray Ferret has contacted TEWV for comment.
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