Julian Welcomes New Mental Health Hospital Announcement
June 15, 2017
Julian has welcomed the news that progress is being made to replace York’s mental health hospital.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust (TEWV) announced today that their Board of Directors have approved the Haxby Road site as the preferred location for York’s new mental health hospital.
This follows a public consultation on three short-listed sites, which included Bootham Park, Clifton Park, and Haxby Road.
Commenting Julian said, “This news has been a long time coming, and I know many people right across York have been keeping a close eye on TEWV’s response to the consultation.
“I appreciate that some people will be disappointed that Bootham Park has not been listed as the preferred site. My view is that York residents deserve a modern and state-of-the-art mental health hospital, and I believe the absolute and unwavering priority must be achieving the best outcomes for patients, which means locating the new hospital in the most suitable place.
“I very much welcome the news that the proposed number of beds has been increased by 12 to 72, and will now be made up of four 18-bed wards. I know some people, including constituents who came to see me, were concerned that the previously proposed number of beds was inadequate to meet York’s future needs.
“I will be monitoring the planning application process closely, and continue to regularly engage with TEWV representatives in my role as York Outer’s MP. The most important thing is that York gets a fully functioning, safe, and modern mental health hospital to replace Bootham Park as soon as possible. I very much hope and expect that the 2019 completion date is achieved to ensure that York residents with mental health problems get the best possible treatment close to home.”
