Harrogate’s mental health crisis team is still operating out of Ripon, two years after health bosses closed the town’s Briary unit.
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services for the district, moved the team to The Orchards at Ripon following the closure of the Briary unit at Harrogate District Hospital in May 2020.
The crisis team provides specialist inpatient care for adults and children with mental health problems who may otherwise need to go to hospital.
The 29 staff were relocated after managers were unable to find alternative accommodation in Harrogate.
At the time, health bosses said the move was a short term solution until a new base in Harrogate was found.
The Stay Ferret asked the mental health trust whether a new base had been identified for the crisis team and if it had returned to face-to-face consultations.
A spokesperson for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust said:
“Following the transformation work associated with adult and older adult mental health services, there was a requirement for services other than hospital liaison to move out of Harrogate District Foundation Trust.
“In the planning of this, the adult and children’s crisis teams were accommodated at the Ripon community base at The Orchards from May 2020, as the crisis team coverage included Harrogate, Ripon and the rural district areas. The crisis team continues to operate from their own office spaces in Ripon.”
They added:
“Because of the nature of the crisis and home-based treatment team, the way we met the needs of patient and carers did not change, in that, we retained face-to-face contact throughout covid balanced with telephone or video contacts, depending on patient choice and level of need as we had done before.”
Read more:
- Harrogate needs mental health crisis team ‘at earliest opportunity’
- Harrogate families describe anguish of mental health problems and impact of Briary Unit closure
- Bilton man says government is failing young people with mental health issues
In March 2021, health bosses told the Stray Ferret that the team needed to return at the “earliest opportunity”.
When the Briary Wing closed in April 2020, inpatient mental health services transferred to York.
North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which buys medical services for the county, said the transfer of inpatient beds “released £500,000”, which could be invested in community mental health services.
Have you been affected by this change in mental health services? Get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
Yorkshire Ambulance Service declares ‘critical incident’ statusYorkshire Ambulance Service has urged people to only call 999 for serious or life threatening injuries because it is under “extreme pressure”.
YAS, which covers the Harrogate district, said in a statement it was operating on Resource Escalation Plan 4.
This is the equivalent to Black Alert for hospitals and is only declared when an ambulance service can no longer effectively deliver a service due, typically due to a major incident
All 10 ambulance trusts in the country have now declared a similar status.
Staff shortages and hot weather are among the reasons.
Read more:
- Harrogate hospital urges visitors to wear masks amid covid case rise
- Bilton man says government is failing young people with mental health issues
YAS has asked people to consider contacting their GP, pharmacy or practise self-care as alternative options to the ambulance service.
A spokesperson for YAS said:
Bilton man says government is failing young people with mental health issues“An extremely high volume of calls is currently having a significant impact on both our 999 and NHS 111 operations.
“We have taken the decision to move to REAP Level 4, our highest level of escalation, and while the situation is being managed in line with the plans that we have in place to protect our core services, unfortunately there are patients who are facing delays and we are very sorry that we are unable to respond to them as quickly as we would like.
“All emergency calls are categorised according to the nature of a patient’s illness or injury and those in a life-threatening condition are always prioritised. It’s important that members of the public only call 999 for an ambulance when it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. This will help us to focus our efforts on our most poorly patients.
“You can also help us by not calling back to check where the ambulance is as we need those phone lines to be free for those in a life-threatening condition. However, if the condition of the patient changes or if you feel you no longer need an ambulance, it’s important that you let us know.
“For anyone with less serious illnesses and injuries, they should consider self-care, their local pharmacy, GP surgery, urgent care centre or making their own way to the emergency department. Our NHS 111 service is also available online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and thank all our hard-working staff and volunteers for their efforts at this challenging time.”
A man from Bilton who battled undiagnosed Post-traumatic stress disorder for six years says the government is failing young people with mental health issues due to a lack of funding.
Ben Rothery, 22, said his mental health first began to suffer as a teenager when he struggled to come to terms with his sexuality and was bullied by other children.
He also developed a problematic relationship with food and his weight increased to 18 stone.
The bullying led to a suicide attempt aged 16 and further traumatic events at university increased his suffering. Despite seeking help through the NHS several times, they were unable to diagnose what was wrong with him.
He said in one year, he told at least 10 people within the NHS about the same traumatic experiences.
He said:
“I shut everything positive out of my life. I didn’t know what was going on.”
Huge waiting lists
After his suicide attempt six years ago, he was first referred by his GP to CAMHS, an NHS service for young people with mental health problems.
Mr Rothery said the waiting list was “huge” but he was offered regular sessions for a year.
He was one of the lucky ones, with reports of some young people waiting up to two years for sessions.
Whilst helpful, he said CAMHS was unable to diagnose him with any mental health condition, which left him confused.
Things began to improve at school, and after coming out as gay during his school’s 6th form prom, his confidence improved. He went to university in York to train to be a teacher and his future looked bright.
He said:
“It was the happiest I’d ever been. I finally looked in mirror and that was who I wanted to be.”
But whilst at university, his mental health began to suffer again. He starved himself and lost six stone in just two months.
He then suffered a painful fallout with people he thought were friends and faced more bullying.
He bought a pride flag that he hoped to take to his first Harrogate Pride event. However, somebody went into his bedroom, urinated on it and posted a video all over social media. He said he then “isolated himself completely”.
Retreating into own world
When the first covid lockdown happened in March 2020, Mr Rothery said “the world stopped when I needed it to stop”.
He dropped out of university with thousands of pounds worth of debt, moved back home to Harrogate with his family, and retreated into his own world.
He said the experience at university was traumatic and he didn’t feel like he could talk about it.
“People said, ‘it’s just drama’ but it really affected me. It was like being so high up, feeling like you made it in life, then plummeting straight back down. I was lower than when I tried to commit suicide at 16″.
Read more:
- Calls for action over ‘overwhelmed’ North Yorkshire children’s mental health services
- Majority of young people in North Yorkshire have suffered from poor mental health
Seeking help
In early 2021, Mr Rothery decided to seek help again. His GP referred him to IAPT, an NHS talking therapy service.
But he was offered just three hours of CBT treatment and it didn’t address his problems. He was still desperately seeking a diagnosis and an answer to why he was feeling so bad.
He said:
“I thought I had anxiety that had spiralled out of control. I had looked into PTSD, but I thought only people who had suffered really extreme things, like soldiers or victims of sexual assault had that.
“I felt like I hadn’t been listened to. Everybody I spoke to didn’t understand my problems.”
He said he carried on struggling until late last year when he had a “complete meltdown” and contemplated suicide again.
“I sat sobbing in my bedroom. I thought, I don’t want to leave my mum and dad. I saw how my previous suicide attempt made them feel. But I just thought, I don’t want to wake up.”
Next therapist
With his mental health problems now at an all-time low, he visited his GP again.
The doctor presented him with two options: go back to IAPT again or take medication. But he didn’t want to rely on chemicals to feel better.
Fortunately, his dad, who is a painter and decorator, had a customer in Harrogate who is a trained therapist. A deal was agreed where he would do work for her in return for offering sessions for Ben.
Private therapy sessions usually start at least £50 an hour, out of reach for most young people in Harrogate on lower salaries, so the offer changed his life.
He said it was the first time somebody had listened and told him what was wrong with him: PTSD brought on by the traumatic events of his teenage years and at university.
“That was the first time somebody told me what was wrong with me.
“It’s like a filing cabinet that has been thrown over and reorganising. It was the first time I’d felt listened to. I felt like I’d achieved something. For six years since 16 I’d been trying to get support but nobody seemed to know what to do.”
Doing better now
Mr Rothery says since the private therapy sessions finished he is doing much better. He has a fulfilling job and a good support network including his mum and dad.
But he fears that there are countless other people in Harrogate who are suffering with poor mental health in silence —and they are unable to afford expensive private therapy sessions that could make all the difference.
A report published in May by Harrogate-based Healthwatch North Yorkshire found that 72% of young people said they had experienced mental health or well-being issues in the past year.
Mr Rothery said:
“The biggest frustration for me is that anybody who didn’t have a support system at home like me would not have survived as long as I did. It crossed my mind that i could stop it all with one solution, but I’d be giving up. If i was to commit suicide, I’d give up all this fight.”
He added:
Calls for action over ‘overwhelmed’ North Yorkshire children’s mental health services“If everybody tried to get help and came forward to their GPs, maybe more would be done.”
Children’s community mental health services need a root and branch review, officials in North Yorkshire have said.
North Yorkshire County Council’s director of children and young people’s services Stuart Carlton, said ongoing concerns over a lack of available support had been highlighted to the Department for Education.
It comes amid concerns the strategy to deal with a post-pandemic surge in youngsters requiring support is grossly inadequate.
Mr Carlton said increasing the amount of help for children with mental health issues ranked alongside child exploitation and online safety as the most significant challenges his colleagues were facing.
He was speaking at a meeting of the authority’s children and young people’s scrutiny committee a year after the NHS announced it was rapidly expanding children’s mental health services to offer support teams in schools to almost three million pupils by 2023.
At the time, the NHS said by intervening in mental health issues early it was hoped to prevent problems escalating into serious concerns.
Read more:
- Harrogate care home where rodent droppings were found plans to reopen
- New covid advice after Harrogate district rate triples in June
Earlier this year the committee heard mental health services for children in the county and elsewhere were struggling to cope with an “exponential growth in demand” due to the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic, compounded by factors like pressure experienced by children on social media platforms.
In February, Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust bosses told the scrutiny meeting its community-based mental health team (CAMHS) was treating more than 2,500 children across the county.
They said referrals to its services for issues such as eating disorders had risen from about 100 a month at start of pandemic to more than 300 a month during 2021.
18-month waiting list
Four months on, a youth support worker told the committee the waiting list for CAMHS had risen to 18 months, which was not a sufficiently timely reaction to what children needed.
She said:
“The biggest challenge we face on the ground is mental health. I cannot overestimate how challenging it is. Pretty much all the young people we work with have some element of mental ill health.”
When asked about a timeframe for getting mental health support teams into schools, Mr Carlton said the authority had told government officials the scheme was too being implemented too slowly and the ambition needed to be to get mental health teams available for all schools.
He added:
“I just don’t see how that’s going to happen. I have called nationally for a fundamental CAMHS review because it is not working. It needs significant funding and significant review and enacting clearly across the whole of the country.”
Mr Carlton said the authority was providing support to schools through mental heath training while working with North Yorkshire NHS bosses to reassess what was needed from the service and how it could be modernised.
He said there had been promising collaborative work with the NHS, but financing extra support for children would be “very challenging”.
Mr Carlton said:
Harrogate district patients feeling ‘catastrophic impact’ of dental crisis“We can see through the pandemic increased demand. The services are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed and overstretched and it’s an area of absolute focus.
“Any interaction with a child from a professional is a mental health opportunity. However, we need enough capacity for specialist support when it is required.”
Patients in the Harrogate district are feeling the “catastrophic impact” of the dental crisis on their overall health, according to a new report.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire, the NHS body representing patients, is demanding a task force be set up to address the crisis in the county’s oral health due to a lack of NHS dentists.
The report outlines the impact of not being able to access an NHS dentist on the lives of more than 80 residents in the county, including Harrogate.
‘Urgent reform’
The watchdog said the issue needed “urgent reform”.
Ashley Green, chief executive officer at Healthwatch North Yorkshire, said:
“The case studies presented in this report reiterate the severe issues facing people across North Yorkshire. To hear the drastic measures people have resorted to after not being able to access an NHS dentist is harrowing.
“The financial impact, the impact on people’s mental health and on people’s physical health – these case studies reiterate the disaster people across our county are facing.
“Urgent reform is needed, and we urge that something is done now — before the situation gets even worse.”
Read more:
- Investigation: ‘Shocking’ waits for NHS dentists in Harrogate district
- Watchdog report: Just one NHS dentist per 10,000 people in Harrogate district
A Harrogate case study detailed how one patient suffering gum pain called 10 dentists, both private and NHS, and offered to pay privately, but was told none were taking either NHS or private patients.
They said:
“I called 111 and was told to go and see my dentist, I explained I didn’t have a dentist and was told it was difficult at the moment.
“The pain was worsening so I ended up taking paracetamol, codeine and ibuprofen, spaced out at regular intervals. I again called 111, and only when I said I was now taking three types of painkiller did they take notice.
“They said a dentist would call me at around 7.30am next morning, so be up and ready to go. No phone call until 1.30pm telling me to go to a practice in Harrogate the next morning. I went and was seen for a couple of minutes, confirming that I had a gum infection. The dentist prescribed antibiotics, which did clear up the infection.
“My complaint is that dentists are not bound to give a person in pain help. I have heard this complaint from quite a few friends now, surely they should be duty bound to see emergency cases.”
The recommendations outlined in the report include:
- • Establishing a dental task force for North Yorkshire that tackles the underlying issues identified in this and previous reports.
- • Adopting a collaborative approach to addressing the dental crisis across the Humber and North Yorkshire region to ensure the commissioning of services meets the needs of the wider population.
Nationally, Healthwatch England has led calls for a radical rethink of NHS dentistry and it will be announcing its next steps over the coming weeks.
The government said it was increasing investment in services to improve access.
Acute problem of NHS dentists
Last year, the Stray Ferret revealed that just two Harrogate district NHS dentists were accepting patients but both had a waiting list of at least two-and-a-half years.
The investigation revealed how acute the problem of dental care is for people on low incomes in the district, with one councillor describing the situation as “shocking”.
Meanwhile, a review of NHS dentistry published in August 2021 found that found there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the district.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire is calling for people to share their views and experiences of health and social care, by visiting our website, calling 01423 788128 or emailing admin@hwny.co.uk.
Majority of young people in North Yorkshire have suffered from poor mental healthA report from a Harrogate-based organisation has found that 72% of young people said they had experienced mental health or well-being issues in the past year.
The research is part of a new report published by Healthwatch North Yorkshire. It says mental health services need “significant improvement” so more young people aged 16-24 can access the help they need.
As well as a survey, researchers organised focus groups at Harrogate College and Selby College to gather the views of young people.
Of those who said they had experienced poor mental health, only half said they sought help.
Reasons given for not seeking support included long waiting times to access support, the stigma surrounding mental health, and not knowing where to go.
Of those who did seek support, most respondents sought help from their GP, talked to friends and family, or got support at their school, college, or university.
Read more:
- Harrogate Flower Show will celebrate the mental health benefits of gardening
- TikTok video on mental health in Harrogate goes viral
Those people who did get support from NHS services had a mixed response.
Some found the services helpful, but many raised concerns about long waiting times and fragmented services.
Helena, a young student involved with this research shared her own mental health experiences:
“Mental health and well-being are important topics that affect us all. However, this area still has a lot of stigmas around it, and there is a lot more that needs to be done to improve the mental health services across North Yorkshire and promote mental health across schools and colleges.
“Through personal experience I have come to value the importance of having support from all people, whether that is my friends or family, or the services provided locally, they are all vital in helping me to manage my own mental health.”
“I would call on all service providers in health and education to read this report and act on its recommendations and findings. Together we need to ensure that mental health services and support are equally provided cross the county.”
Read the full report here.
Private hospital introduces GP services in HarrogateA private hospital in Harrogate has launched a new service offering GP appointments to the public.
The Duchy Hospital, on Queen’s Road, will be offering the appointments with Dr Jason Jones at £100 for a 30 minute appointment.
He said:
“I’m very happy and excited to be joining the team at The Duchy and providing some primary care services.
“Being based within the hospital will also give me access to all the hospital’s facilities, services and consultant colleagues. This should improve the patient journey if any secondary care referrals are needed.”
The news follows reports that people across the UK have been struggle to get GP appointments, particularly face-to-face, following the covid pandemic.
In the Harrogate district, demand for GP services has also risen thanks to extensive house-building in recent years, increasing the population.
A report by Healthwatch North Yorkshire in December found people were struggling to access appointments either over the phone or in person. The service added:
“Several people expressed their concern about digital exclusion for people who can’t access GP and other services online. Others raised issues about misdiagnosis following telephone appointments.
“We know that GP practices across North Yorkshire are working hard to ensure everyone can access the right services for them.”
Read more:
- Patients urged to be kind as abuse prompts GP staff in North Yorkshire to quit
- Access to NHS dentists in North Yorkshire has ‘got worse’, says MP
Appointments with Dr Jones at The Duchy Hospital are available from Monday, April 25 and can be booked by calling 01423 567136 and selecting option four.
The Duchy’s executive director Rick Sanders added:
Artizan café in Harrogate expands to second floor“The private GP service is a great addition for our patients at The Duchy. This new service will allow patients to see a GP face to face with easy access to any diagnostic tests, scans or onward referrals that may be required.”
Artizan café, which opened on Cambridge Road late last year, is set to expand to an upper floor.
The floor was initially used for offices and storage space. Due to increased demand, it will now be opened up to the public as an extended café area.
Artizan International was founded by Suzie Hart MBE in 2013.
Ms. Hart will be behind the design of the second floor, which will include the same tiles, mosaics and artisan textures on the ground floor.
The café was introduced to help people with disabilities learn hospitality skills and get into the job market.
Anna Maria Wilson, part-time manager at Artizan café, said:
“It was always in the plan. We are definitely doing it sooner than was anticipated because there was that increased demand.
“We have been so busy, that we needed the extra space. It is beautiful up there, and we aim for it to be more of a tranquil and relaxed area for people to enjoy.”
Although the official date is not yet known, the second floor should be open in a couple of weeks for customers to enjoy.
Specsavers Harrogate to join CUES scheme

Specsavers Harrogate is joining the Covid-19 Urgent Eye Service (CUES) scheme
Specsavers Harrogate has announced that it will be joining the NHS Covid-19 Urgent Eye Service programme.
Those with urgent eye health issues can visit the store for treatment under the CUES scheme.
The service was launched to reduce pressure on the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.
Patients with urgent eye issues and in need of treatment will now be able to visit Specsavers Harrogate to have vision checks, which will be covered free-of-charge by the NHS.
Robert May, optometrist director at Specsavers Harrogate, said:
“The Cues scheme has been set up as we have the expertise and equipment in-store to deal with a range of eye-related emergencies.
“We’re seeing around one hundred customers every week through the scheme, which is definitely taking the pressure off the NHS’ services and waiting times.”
You can find out more about the CUES scheme here.
Read more:
- Health officials warn of 12-hour waits at Harrogate hospital A&E
- New restaurant and bar to open on Harrogate’s King’s Road next week
Tributes to long-serving Harrogate hospital cardiologist
Dr Hugh Larkin, a retired cardiologist and consultant in acute medicine at Harrogate District Hospital for 39 years, has died.
Dr Larkin, who was 78, died on April 1 following a battle with cancer. He leaves behind wife Lynn, children Hugh, Philip, Samantha, Nicola and Tristan and grandson, Hugh.
He joined the cardiology department at the hospital in 1983 and worked through the pandemic until his retirement in January 2021.
Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), said:
“Dr Larkin was one of our longest serving consultants, joining HDFT in 1983 and working with us during the covid pandemic where he returned to support his colleagues and patients at a time of great need.
“He was a kind, caring and talented doctor who was highly respected by colleagues and patients and he will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this very sad time.”
Born in 1943, Dr Larkin grew up in Glasgow, joining the navy at 16 years old and before studying Medicine at the University of Glasgow.
On graduation in 1974, Dr Larkin became a resident at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary before working at the Western Infirmary and Sydney’s North Shore Hospital.
Dr David Earl, deputy medical director at HDFT said:
“Hugh was a gentle and kind man. He was a wonderful teacher, who was respected as a colleague and friend, and most importantly by the population of Harrogate itself.”
Read more:
- Health officials warn of 12-hour waits at Harrogate hospital A&E
- Harrogate autism advocate using YouTube to break down barriers
Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager at HDFT said:
“Hugh was an amazing person and highly thought of by so many people. He saved so many lives – including my own father. His passing is such a sad loss, but his legacy will live on not only with the funds raised in his memory, but also through the difference he made to so many people’s lives.”
The Larkin family said in a statement:
“Hugh was a cherished husband and loving father; he was a family man in the truest sense of the word and was happiest when surrounded by his wife and children.
“As a family, we knew how much his work meant to him and we were incredibly proud of everything he did as a doctor. We hope his legacy in cardiology, as well as the positive impact he had on the lives of the people of Harrogate, lives on.”
Dr Larkin’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 19 April at 12pm at Our Lady Immaculate and St Robert’s Catholic Church in Harrogate.
Dr Larkin’s family have asked for donations in his memory to go to the cardiology department at Harrogate District Hospital via a dedicated donation page at https://hhcc.co.uk/hhcc-post/in-memory-of-dr-hugh-larkin/
Care home managers warn staffing crisis is ‘only getting worse’
Harrogate care home managers have warned the staffing crisis is only getting worse and that it will inevitably cause more bed blocking problems for the NHS.
Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, described the current situation as “dire” and said she has “never known it as bad as this”.
She said:
“The sector is desperately short of care staff.
“At Harrogate Neighbours we can’t increase our packages for home care and we are struggling to keep our care home above water, with staff having to work extra time to cover spare shifts.”
Susie Harrison, manager at Highgate Park care home and chair of Harrogate and District Registered Managers Network, also said the staff shortages were the “underlying cause” of delays in discharging hospital patients into care homes.
She said:
“Care homes can’t take any more residents because they don’t have the staff and this means people end up stuck in hospital – that is the reality of the situation.”
Hospital can’t discharge patients
Harrogate District Hospital has confirmed it currently has around 40 patients who no longer require hospital care but can’t be discharged because they do not have a suitable location to continue their recovery.
This latest figure comes after the hospital recently warned it was “very full” and that this was having an impact on waiting times.
As well as the social care staffing shortages, Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said covid is also playing a “big part” in the bed blocking problems.
He said:
“When care homes have had to close due to covid outbreaks, or the service they provide has been affected due to their staff being unable to work after catching the virus or having to self-isolate, we have been unable to discharge patients into their care.
“We know how being in a more familiar location can aid recovery and we are working closely with our partners in social care to ensure patients who no longer require hospital care are able to be discharged as soon as possible.”
There are currently around 1,000 vacant care jobs across North Yorkshire and a recruitment campaign has been launched by North Yorkshire County Council to try address the shortfall.
Make Care Matter campaign
Make Care Matter aims to change perceptions about working in the sector which has endured a major challenge to attract and retain staff long before the current crisis.
Read More:
- Harrogate covid vaccination centre set to close in March
- Visiting restrictions to be eased at Harrogate and Ripon hospitals
- Harrogate hospital bed occupancy high as winter pressures bite
Since the campaign launched in January, 268 job applications have been progressed, with 197 interviews resulting in 91 job placements.
Senior officials at the county council have said this shows some progress has been made, although they added it will take more than a recruitment campaign to solve the staffing problems.
Richard Webb, corporate director for health and adult services at the county council, said government promises to reform how social care is funded and how much staff are paid will be the key.
He said:
“We have seen a step-change in the care market since summer 2021, with very tough competition in the labour market, which is having a significant impact on care providers being able to recruit.
“The county council and the NHS have put additional funding into the sector to help sustain services, manage covid-19 and, recently, to support the workforce, including a one-off pay bonus for 16,000 care workers.
“Whilst the council welcomes the government’s proposals for changing how much people pay for care, we also want to see national action to help stabilise care providers and to improve the pay and status of care workers.
“In the meantime, we work closely with our care providers and NHS colleagues to ensure that as many people can go home from hospital as soon as is safe and feasible to do so.”