Hundreds of mental health patients wait a year to be seen by TEWV

Thirty-six patients had been waiting as long as two years for their contact from the Tees Esk Wear Valleys NHS Trust (TEWV) as of July 1.

A TEWV spokesperson said it serves a population of two million people across Yorkshire and the North East and experienced a 25 per cent increase in referrals from 2020 to 2024.

They said the “majority of our patients are seen in a timely manner” but added: “We are sorry if some people are experiencing longer waits.”

The findings, revealed by a Freedom of Information request (FOI) to the trust by The Press, come as calls grow for a public inquiry into TEWV.

The Press is backing industry professionals and MPs who are calling for an inquiry.

Editor Nigel Burton said: “We know the country is facing a mental health crisis with too many patients and not enough resource to meet their needs.

“Mental health provision is the Cinderella service of the NHS.

“But as our shocking figures reveal today, keeping patients waiting for months and sometimes for years is simply not on.

“Something has gone badly wrong. The government owes it to patients, and their families, to find out what and put it right as soon as possible so that everyone gets the help they need, when they need it.”

TEWV has said that, as an NHS trust, it has “no role or influence on public inquiries” as “these are a matter for the government”, adding: “We will co-operate fully as required with openness and transparency.

“We work with some very vulnerable people, and continue to take every opportunity to improve the care we provide and have made substantial changes over the last few years.”

TEWV provides mental health and learning disability services for York, as well as North Yorkshire, County Durham, Darlington and Teesside.

The figures obtained by The Press refer to the whole area covered by the trust.

They revealed that waits experienced by adult patient for their first contact from the trust after GP referral – referring to face-to-face, telephone or virtual contact – has continued to increase over the last five years.

In total, 331 mental health patients had been waiting at least a year for their first contact from the trust as of July 1.

For children and young people, the wait time for a first contact peaked at 68.3 days (just over two months) in 2022, then decreased to 54.02 days in 2023, and fell further to 34.6 days last year.

The average wait time from referral to treatment at the trust was 34.6 days last year for adults and 48.22 days for children and young people.

Wait times for starting treatment have fluctuated over the five years for both age groups. For adults, the longest wait was 48.2 days in 2023. For children and young people, the longest wait was 169.1 days in 2022.

The TEWV spokesperson said: “As one of the biggest NHS trusts in the country, we serve a population of two million people across the North East and Yorkshire.

“From 2020 to 2024 we experienced a 25 per cent increase in referrals, reflecting the national picture of increasing demand for mental health services.

“Although the majority of our patients are seen in a timely manner, we are sorry if some people are experiencing longer waits.

“We continue to work hard with our commissioners and partners, including schools, voluntary, community and the social enterprise sector, to reduce wait times across our trust.

“These partnerships ensure people get support as quickly as possible and have seen waiting lists reduced to around three weeks in some areas.”

‘Findings lay bare the huge inadequacies’ of TEWV, says MP

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said the “findings lay bare the huge inadequacies” of TEWV, while York Outer MP Luke Charters said they confirmed that “far too many people are left waiting too long for vital mental health support” from the trust.

Ms Maskell, after working with MPs across the region, met with mental health minister Baroness Gillian Merron to push for a public inquiry into TEWV.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell, right, met with mental health minister Baroness Gillian Merron, left, to push for a public inquiry into the TEWV NHS trust(Image: Supplied)

The MP said “vulnerable people have died in their services” following “neglect and failures”, adding that she had “received a great deal of correspondence” from people impacted by “failings” at the trust.

Responding to the figures obtained by The Press, Ms Maskell said: “I have met with constituents over a number of years who have presented to me significant incidents of poor care, and clearly, we know that there have been statutory cases taken against the trust.

“The latest CQC report states that the trust still ‘Requires Improvement’, including in being safe, responsive, and well led; three areas of particular concern.

“I have met with several constituents in crisis, who have not been able to get help at their time of great need; people receiving poor care in the community and within in-patient services; and tragically, we have had people die in their services despite clear warnings that they were at serious risk.”

Luke Charters, MP for York Outer(Image: Supplied)

Mr Charters, meanwhile, said: “I’ve heard tearful accounts of many families and individuals across York who have faced huge difficulties trying to access help, with delays that can be deeply damaging both for adults and for children.

“The trust’s own data shows wait times have grown worse in recent years, with hundreds still waiting just to be seen. That is unacceptable, and too many are suffering.”

The York Outer MP added that he has been “calling for a full and independent review into TEWV’s services”, adding: “Patients in York and across our region deserve a system that provides timely, safe, and effective care and I will continue to fight to ensure they get it.”