Harrogate District Hospital has reported another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.
According to NHS England figures, the death was recorded yesterday.
It takes the covid death toll at the hospital since March last year to 198.
The Harrogate district reported a further 104 covid cases in today’s government figures.
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The district’s covid rate has risen to 570 infections per 100,000 people, which is the second highest in North Yorkshire.
Across the county, the average stands at 529 and the England rate is 398.
As of Tuesday, 23 covid patients were being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.
Taxi licence fees in the Harrogate district have been frozen for the second year running due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing committee agreed not to increase fees after it was revealed there has been a big drop in the number of taxis on the roads.
Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said there are around 50 fewer private hire vehicles operating in the area, although he added there are “early signs” that the trade is recovering.
He said:
“There are some very small signs of recovery, but it is very early.
“The numbers of drivers and vehicles over the years has always been very steady – we have only ever seen very slight fluctuations.
“There are lots of reasons why this could have now reduced.
“It is a hard job for a start. Some drivers have migrated into other careers and decided that is where they want to be.
“Whether we will get a new set of drivers coming to replace the 50 we have lost – only time will tell.”
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Mr Bentley also said the reduction in drivers had an impact on the council’s budget as it meant less income.
He added he was hopeful that a recent policy change which removed a limit on the number of wheelchair accessible taxi licences would help boost vehicle numbers.
Richard Fieldman, who runs A1 Cars Ripon, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he would not “heap any praise” on the council for freezing licence fees again as many drivers had not forgotten the authority introduced a 10% rise before the pandemic.
He said:
“Previously fees went up by this amount two years running – those were both massive hikes.
“It is no surprise whatsoever that there are fewer drivers on the roads.
“As a driver for 29 years, I thought about packing it in myself during the lockdowns as this period highlighted to me how vulnerable we are.
“I personally managed to ride through this period, although I did end up in debt because of it.
“A lot of drivers have now realised there is very little reward in this trade.”
The licence fee freeze for the 2022/23 financial year was unanimously approved by members of the committee.
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata will be played by candlelight at a recital in Harrogate in aid of charity.
British pianist Warren Mailley-Smith (pictured above) will perform the sonata at the Wesley Centre on December 9.
The event will also feature music by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Gershwin.
The event is being held in aid of Artizan International, a charity that raises money for people with disabilities in the UK and the developing world.
Tickets are priced at £12 for adults and £5 for students. The concert will start at 7.30pm.
For more information, visit the Ticketsource website.
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Commissioner candidates questioned: Women’s safety
In the first of a series of articles on crime issues in the Harrogate district, candidates standing to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are questioned on women’s safety.
The resignation of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott has thrown a spotlight on the safety of women and girls.
Mr Allott quit last month after a two-week storm of sustained criticism over his comments that women needed to be more “streetwise” in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard.
And now, the five candidates competing to replace him at next Thursday’s election have had their say on how they would tackle the problem, with one promising an inquiry into misogyny at North Yorkshire Police.
Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party
Hannah Barham-Brown, who is standing for the Women’s Equality Party, said she would launch the probe if elected as she believes women and girls have been “let down” and “deserve better”.
She said:
“As a GP, the deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party and as a queer, disabled woman myself, I have years of campaigning experience and a lifetime of lived experience when it comes to women’s safety and freedom.
“I am determined to deliver better for my community by launching an independent inquiry into misogyny in North Yorkshire Police, ensuring a trauma-informed and victim-led approach to investigations and implementing compulsory training for all agencies working with black and minoritised women who are victims of violence – amongst other things.”
James Barker, Liberal Democrats
There are two men in the election race – and both previously stood when Conservative Mr Allott was elected by a margin of more than 31,000 votes in May.
This includes York Liberal Democrat councillor James Barker who said the current situation for women and girls is “troubling”.
He said:
“There were 597 rape cases recorded in North Yorkshire in the year to March 2020 of which 88% involved female victims, as did 85% of 635 sexual assaults.
“There were over 7,000 crimes flagged as domestic abuse, but there will be harassment and worse that goes unreported.”
Cllr Barker, who served in the military for 24 years, added:
“There is much to do, but as a start I would want to increase efforts to prevent and detect violence against women and girls.
“This will include ensuring all frontline staff are trained to detect and respond appropriately to domestic abuse, sexual violence and sexual harassment.”
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Keith Tordoff, Independent
Independent candidate Keith Tordoff, who served for 20 years at West Yorkshire Police, also said women and girl’s safety was a priority and that he wanted to bring Clare’s Law more into public view.
Clare’s Law aims to prevent domestic abuse and is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Greater Manchester in 2009.
Mr Tordoff added:
“I want to review work already under way by the police and find things which could be done better, such as benchmarking Domestic Violence Protection Notices, Domestic Violence Protection Orders usage and using new resolution schemes like the Cautions and Relationship Abuse programme.
“I have ideas around tackling rape culture with public education, looking at a way of having independent oversight of rape and abuse decisions and investigations.
“I want to update police vetting and stop officers using WhatsApp on duty too.”
Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative
Harrogate councillor Zoe Metcalfe is the Conservative candidate and said improving safety for everyone – particularly women and girls – was at the top of her agenda.
She said it is “unacceptable” that females are subject to harassment, abuse and violence, adding:
“I will expand the support available to victims and survivors, introduce preventative measures to stop the violence happening in the first place and commission outside agencies to work with teachers in delivering healthy relationship, sex and health education.
“I will also increase the pathways to report domestic abuse and commission domestic abuse workers in A&Es.”
Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour
The final candidate is Labour’s Emma Scott-Spivey who is a student paramedic and the daughter of two police officers.
She described violence against women and girls as an “endemic” and said she would “restore trust” in the commissioner’s office if elected.
She said:
“My first priority as commissioner would be to restore trust and rebuild our frontline – repairing the damage done by Philip Allott and making sure our emergency services have the tools they need to keep us safe.
“The culture of male violence and how politicians and public services respond to it must change urgently.
“I will appoint a senior leadership officer to drive forward the police’s response and work with women’s groups, community groups, schools and victims organisations to make women and girls safer.”
The announcement of the election results will take place on 26 November – the day after voters go to the polls.
Harrogate district residents will be able to apply for financial support this winter in order to pay for living costs.
As part of £3.5 million worth of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions, North Yorkshire County Council will offer payments of up to £250 to those families eligible.
The Household Support Fund will see supermarket vouchers provided to people in North Yorkshire who receive means-tested council tax support or reduction and have a child under the age of 19 living at home.
The e-vouchers can be used online or in stores locally and should help people meet the costs of food, energy bills and other utilities.
Cllr David Chance, executive member for stronger communities said:
“The Household Support Fund is a new scheme announced by the government in October this year.
“In North Yorkshire, we have put together an eligibility criteria to identify those most in need of financial support this winter, which recognises the current pressures heading into winter, including the end of the national furlough scheme and increased costs of essential goods and services.
“If you don’t receive a letter, but are struggling to afford food or heating, you may be eligible for help from North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund, or Warm and Well North Yorkshire.”
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The county council is set to contact around 8,000 families across North Yorkshire who will be eligible for the support.
The remainder of the money will be distributed among other assistance schemes in the county which can be accessed by residents who don’t meet the eligibility criteria for voucher payments, but who are also likely to struggle to afford basic necessities, including household goods.
For more information on the Household Support Fund, visit the North Yorkshire County Council website.
The Harrogate district has reported a further 151 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.
The district’s covid rate has risen to 534 infections per 100,000 people, which is the second highest in North Yorkshire.
Across the county, the average stands at 497 and the England rate is 389.
As of Tuesday, 23 covid patients were being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.
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This morning, the Stray Ferret analysed UK government data on covid deaths in the district compared with vaccination figures.
It showed the number of patients dying at Harrogate District Hospital has declined significantly since the vaccine rollout took effect, despite soaring infection levels.
Three men were arrested after stealing a laptop worth thousands of pounds from the Apple iStore on James Street in Harrogate.
Officers were called at 4pm yesterday after two men entered the shop and left with a MacBook Pro worth £1,899 making no attempt to pay.
Owners of the store reported to police that the men had left the area in a car.
North Yorkshire Police used CCTV to search for the car and the men were arrested on the outskirts of York just before 4.45pm, less than 45 minutes after from the initial report.
Two men, one aged 18 and another aged 20, were arrested on suspicion of theft and electrical items that were believed to be stolen were recovered.
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Both were charged with theft and the driver was also charged for driving without insurance.
A third man was released without charge.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:
“This is a great result, the speedy work of our officers on the ground has resulted in us returning this high-value item back to the shop.
“As we enter the Christmas period, we often see an increase in retail theft. I would urge all shop owners and members of the public who are out shopping to be vigilant and to alert police to any suspicious activity.”
Data analysed by the Stray Ferret shows the impact of the covid vaccine in reducing the number of deaths related to the virus at Harrogate District Hospital.
Since December 2020, when the National Health Service embarked on the biggest vaccination rollout in the UK, more than 120,000 people in the Harrogate district have had at least two jabs.
The data shows the number of patients dying at Harrogate District Hospital has declined significantly as the vaccine rollout has taken place.
As shown in the graph below, the number of daily deaths at the hospital from covid peaked in February 2021 at seven. No more than three deaths have been recorded on any one day in recent months despite the highest infections rates since covid began.
The graph also reveals there was a noticeably higher number of deaths overall in the first two waves than in recent months.
The number of covid vaccinations since December 2020 in the Harrogate district. Data: UK Government. Graph: the Stray Ferret.
The peak of daily deaths came at a time when the vaccine rollout was picking up pace and a national lockdown had been imposed due to soaring covid cases.
Around that time, the district hospital was dealing with a peak of 68 covid inpatients, compared to 22 today.
The following months saw no deaths reported for several weeks in line with the vaccine rollout and restrictions imposed.
Once restrictions were lifted in July, the hospital started to report new covid fatalities — but higher vaccination levels led to a much lower death rate.
The daily covid cases in the Harrogate district since the start of the pandemic. Data: UK Government. Graph: the Stray Ferret.
Since March 2020, the hospital has recorded a total of 197 deaths.
The waning of the effect of covid jabs has seen the government start to rollout booster vaccines for those over-40.
High covid cases and booster vaccines
The number of covid cases has increased dramatically in recent months.
Daily infections peaked in October and have flatlined into November.
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Even so, the number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has still not reached anywhere near the high set in February.
The data on vaccinations and deaths comes as booster vaccines have started to be offered to people across the district.
Walk-in centres have been operating in Leeds and York for those who are eligible for a jab.
However, data on the number of people who have taken up booster vaccines in the Harrogate district is so far unavailable.
As of Monday, 13.1 million people across the UK have had booster vaccinations.
The Harrogate district has reported a further 149 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.
The district’s covid rate has risen to 534 infections per 100,000 people, which is the second highest in North Yorkshire.
Across the county, the average stands at 497 and the England rate is 389.
No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England figures.
Since March 2020, 197 people have died with covid at the hospital.
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- Major drop in applications for social care jobs across North Yorkshire
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Meanwhile, the number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital remains stable with 22 currently receiving treatment – a slight fall from 25 this time last week.
The news comes as it was revealed that hundreds of Harrogate District Hospital staff have yet to be vaccinated against covid.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid last week announced he expected to set a deadline for all unvaccinated workers to get both jabs by the beginning of April in a move which he said would help protect patients and the NHS as a whole.
The race is on to vaccinate around 450 frontline staff at Harrogate District Hospital after the government announced it was making covid jabs mandatory.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid last week announced he expected to set a deadline for all unvaccinated workers to get both jabs by the beginning of April in a move which he said would help protect patients and the NHS as a whole.
However, there are concerns it could lead to more staffing shortages in the health service which is still dealing with pandemic pressures and long backlogs.
The vaccine mandate will affect around 100,000 unvaccinated staff in England and follows a consultation which considered whether the rules already in place for care home workers should be introduced.
It is estimated around 90% of all staff are vaccinated, although the numbers vary at different hospital trusts with coverage at some falling to around 80%.
At Harrogate District Hospital, the figure is 91% although bosses believe it could be higher as it doesn’t take into account new starters or staff who have been vaccinated outside of work.
Steve Russell, chief executive at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The vast majority of our staff have had their covid-19 vaccinations, however, there are a small number who have not yet been jabbed.
“We understand there can be a variety of reasons as to why some staff have elected not to have the vaccine.
“We are keen to support those members of staff who are eligible for the vaccine, but have yet to have it, to try and allay their concerns using impartial, factual information.”
The deadline for care home workers to get vaccinated passed last week with around 250 staff in North Yorkshire now facing losing their jobs if they can not be redeployed.
Read More:
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Officials at North Yorkshire County Council – which has launched its biggest-ever care recruitment campaign – say vaccine take up in the county has been good, although they admitted the numbers of unvaccinated staff was still significant for a sector already struggling with a depleted workforce.
If a similar trend is seen for the NHS, the health service could find itself severely short of staff come the spring.
Mr Russell added:
“On a daily basis we see how severe the effects of contracting covid-19 can be and it is important that we do all that we can to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff.
“The covid-19 vaccination is an effective means of preventing the spread of the virus by building protection. Since it has become available we have been encouraging all of our staff – not just those that are patient facing – to get vaccinated.
“Over the last couple of months we have also been offering our colleagues the booster if they are eligible.
“We have and will continue to encourage colleagues who have not yet had the vaccination to get jabbed by spring 2022 and if the need arises we will follow government guidance regarding those people who have elected not to have the vaccination.”