Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT briefing – May 2021

Healthwatch North Yorkshire produced this briefing in May 2021 to summarise feedback received about services provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) since 2019. The briefing drew together feedback relating to specific services and wider community mental health provision. Healthwatch noted that it had received no positive feedback about TEWV services during the period reviewed, although it recognised that people are generally more likely to report problems than positive experiences. 

Feedback about specific services, particularly the Elis Centre, Worsley Court, The Orchards and West Park Hospital, highlighted concerns about cancelled appointments, long delays, poor communication, lack of involvement in care decisions and negative experiences with some staff. Family members also reported difficulties obtaining information about relatives receiving inpatient mental health care and felt that communication and involvement in care planning were sometimes inadequate. 

Across community mental health services, recurring themes included long waiting times, difficulties contacting teams, concerns about reduced service capacity and feelings of being unsupported. Several people reported challenges accessing Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), while others described abrupt discharge from services, inconsistent appointments and a lack of signposting to alternative sources of support. Feedback also suggested that some service users felt bounced between services or that support was not sufficiently responsive to their needs.

Healthwatch also highlighted concerns linked to crisis support and ongoing mental health care. Some people reported feeling judged when seeking crisis help, while others experienced lengthy waits for psychological therapies or felt that mental health support lacked compassion and personalised communication. Overall, the briefing identified waiting times, communication, continuity of care, access to support and involvement of patients and families as the key issues affecting people’s experiences of TEWV services.