Pandemic still having "big impact" on people's mental health in North Yorkshire
A North Yorkshire Charity says many are still feeling the effects
We are hearing how the pandemic is still having a big effect on people's mental health in North Yorkshire.
It's as charities say the inquiry needs to take a deeper look at the impact Covid had on people's emotional wellbeing.
Andrea Woolcott is the chief executive of mental health charity Scarborough survivors: "A lot of people still have social anxiety, being in crowds, going out, handling money, all sorts of things that we probably didn't even realise before COVID was an issue for people."
"We've noticed in our resource centre that if anybody comes in and is under the weather, everybody sort of looks at each other and says 'you haven't got COVID have you?'. It is sort of resonating quite significantly."
"Most people that suffer with OCD that's been exasperated by the constant cleaning, all sorts of different presentations that probably people wouldn't have had prior to COVID."
"Financially as well it's still impacting on people that either lost their jobs, were on furlough and got into debt".
It comes as the chairwoman of the Covid-19 inquiry has been accused of a "U-turn" over the probe's examination of how the pandemic affected mental health.
Charities including Mind and Rethink Mental Illness have joined forces with the Centre for Mental Health, the Association of Mental Health Providers and other groups to urge Baroness Hallett to think again about how the issue will be dealt with by the inquiry.
They say the lack of focus on mental health "risks failing" millions of people with pre-existing illness, alongside those who sought help during the pandemic but were "turned away".
Terms of reference for the inquiry said it would look at "the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the population, including but not limited to those who were harmed significantly by the pandemic" and "the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the bereaved".
Mind submitted to Baroness Hallett that Module 3 "should consider the impact of the pandemic on wider mental health services" and not just look at inpatient psychiatric care for children, as has been planned.
Baroness Hallett said she would "give this submission further consideration", including which area or module of the inquiry's work "is best placed to examine these matters".
In an open letter calling for Baroness Hallett and inquiry staff to think again, the charities and groups said: "The Covid-19 Inquiry's refusal to examine the mental health consequences of the pandemic risks failing the people with pre-existing mental health conditions who died at five times the rate of the general population.
"It risks failing the eight million people who sought help with their mental health and were turned away.
"And it risks failing future generations by not allowing a proper examination of what can be done better in the event of another pandemic."