Carl Gavaghan, Local Democracy Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Another 88 covid cases in Harrogate district as hospitalisations rise

A further 88 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures – and the number of hospital patients has increased.

The district’s seven-day covid rate now stands at 322 cases per 100,000 people, slightly above the North Yorkshire average of 308 and the England rate of 301.

It also emerged today that the number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has risen despite the overall number of people needing treatment across the county falling.

As of yesterday, there were 126 covid-positive patients in North Yorkshire’s hospitals, which is down five on this time last week.

There are 20 patients in intensive care, an increase of one in the last seven days.

In an update to North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today, Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said that the number of patients at Harrogate District Hospital was up one to 11.

She said:

“While there has been an overall reduction across our hospitals there has been a slight increase of covid-positive patients in Harrogate and a larger increase in Scarborough.

“This is an important reminder that some people are still becoming unwell and needing hospital treatment. Due to infection control requirements when treating covid patients it does mean that hospitals are able to do less other activity while the numbers remain significant.

“As schools and colleges go back in September this may also have an impact on infection rates so it is important that we all continue to take sensible precautions to protect ourselves and those around us.”

Elsewhere, 124,187 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 114,258 have had a second dose.

Covid hospitalisations increase in Harrogate district and across county

The number of covid patients in hospitals across North Yorkshire has risen for the third week running.

According to figures published today, there are now 131 people in the county’s hospitals with covid, up 10 from 121 last week. Two weeks ago it was 109.

The latest figure includes 10 patients in Harrogate, eight in Scarborough, 37 in York and 76 in South Tees. Last week there were nine covid patients in Harrogate.

Nineteen of the patients are being treated in intensive care units, which is four fewer than a week ago.

In an update given to the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group stated it was important everyone comes forward to get vaccinated.

She said:

“We know that getting the vaccination is the best thing we can all do to both help prevent spread of the disease and to reduce the number of people who become seriously unwell or die from covid.

“Vaccinations remain available to everyone.

“Recently the vaccination programme has been opened to 16 and 17 year olds who are being contacted by the NHS to book an appointment to receive their first vaccination dose.

“In addition, the vaccine will be available to those young people in the 12 to 15 age group who either live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) or have a condition that means they are at high risk from covid.

“These young people are now being identified and will be contacted shortly to make an appointment to receive their vaccination.”

‘Sharp rise’ in covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals

There has been a “sharp rise” in the number of covid patients in hospitals across North Yorkshire.

The number of people admitted to the county’s hospitals in the last seven days has jumped to 121, up from 109 this time last week.

The latest figure includes nine patients in Harrogate District Hospital – an increase from seven last week.

Meanwhile, eight patients are in Scarborough, 27 in York and 77 in South Tees.

Twenty-three of the patients are being treated in Intensive Care Units.

Hospitalisations had been falling after the number reached 131 two weeks ago.

Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum that there had been a number of people admitted over the weekend.

She said:

“Over the course of last week we did see quite a sharp decrease in the number of patients with covid in hospital, but over the weekend we had quite a sharp rise and that does seem to stabilise but it is in line with what we are seeing more broadly across the country.

“So we are still seeing quite significant numbers of patients requiring hospital treatment when they become poorly with covid.”

Mrs Bloor also urged younger people who had not taken up the offer of a vaccine to come forward to get one.

She added:

“We are seeing younger people getting covid who do need to be admitted to hospital for treatment and they are sometimes becoming quite poorly.

“So please do not delay getting the vaccine. It is the single most important thing that you can do to protect yourself.”

Number of North Yorkshire covid patients falls, with eight in Harrogate

The number of covid patients in hospitals in North Yorkshire has fallen, with eight currently being treated in Harrogate.

Across hospitals which serve the county there are 131 patients now receiving treatment for coronavirus, a drop of five but the number in intensive care is up by six to 22.

There are eight covid patients in Harrogate District Hospital – a fall from nine last week.

Meanwhile, 27 are being treated in York and 89 in South Tees.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer of the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today that vaccinations remained open to those aged between 18 to 29 and urged people to come forward.

She said:

“Data suggest that around 70 per cent of people in this age range across North Yorkshire and York have had one dose and 24 per cent have had their second dose.

“Vaccinations are available for all adults through pre-booked and walk-in appointments, and we are encouraging everyone to take up the offer.

“The vaccination remains a personal choice and while we can make accessing the vaccination as easy as possible, we may find that some people opt not to take up the offer.”

Harrogate’s coronavirus infection rate per 100,000 people now stands at 247 – a drop from a high of 534 last month.

Meanwhile, Louise Wallace, the county’s director of public health, said that despite the drop the figures were still high.

She added:

“The decline in cases is always good news and it is encouraging, but it is probably too soon to say if this is a downward and sustained trend.

“So we keep a real close eye on the case rates to see what is happening.

“Just remember that when [cases rates are above] 200 it is still relatively high, which is why I just want to urge everybody to take care and take things slowly.

“We do need to see whether this is absolutely a continued and sustained trend before we change any of our behaviours.”

Harrogate council leader: ‘county council let the borough down’

Harrogate Borough Council’s leader has said he is disappointed at the government’s decision to create a single super council for North Yorkshire and claimed the county council had “let the borough down”.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick MP revealed that the chosen option was for the new single council structure proposed by North Yorkshire County Council over a rival bid for two authorities split on a east/west basis.

Under the plans York City Council will also remain as a unitary council.

Mr Jenrick rejected the district councils’ model, which would have seen the county split into east and west with two unitary councils.

The move means Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining district authorities will no longer exist.

Cllr Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the borough council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the government’s decision “flies in the face” of its own criteria.

He said:

“Naturally, I am disappointed at this decision and I will be interested in due course to read the government’s reasoning.

“I have always been in favour of unitary government. It is less confusing for residents who will only have one council to go to for all services and it avoids the expense of duplication.

“My argument has always been that any unitary for our area needs to be of the right size and structure to deliver efficient and responsive services to residents.

“The county council deliver some services exceptionally – children’s services and adult social care to name two. In other areas they let our borough down.

“My job now as the leader of Harrogate Borough Council is to explore how the new unitary authority, based on the county structure, can improve these shortcomings.”

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council and initially supported the east/west model, also said:

“It was not our choice to go down this line and we did not support either of the two proposals but, if pushed, our preferred option would have been a north/south split.

“Of the options that were actually on the table, the single council does make the most sense.

“We will fight to get parishes the power and control they want and we have already started the process of assuring that Harrogate town becomes parished.

“We don’t want the local voice lost in a large anonymous organisation.”

Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council.

Meanwhile, Scarborough Borough Council’s leader has described the announcement as “not a good day for democracy”.

Cllr Steve Siddons, Labour leader of the authority, said he felt the decision from the Government to create the 600,000 plus population unitary authority in North Yorkshire was a “dog’s breakfast”.

He said:

“I am extremely disappointed with this announcement.

“The government appears to have ignored their own criteria and advice and have approved a single countywide unitary that is bigger than any other in the country and far bigger than their recommended maximum size.

“It also leaves York as a unitary much smaller than the government’s minimum size recommendation.

“My prediction is that York will inevitably be swallowed up by this mega county. A dog’s breakfast springs to mind.

“My concern now is that the residents of our borough and the staff of our council get a fair deal moving forward and the promises made by the county council in their proposal, prove better and more effective than some of their services in the past.

“Having a council that is two hours drive from where we live is not my idea of a recipe for good local governance.

“The east/west model, which I supported and has been rejected, met all the criteria set by the government so I can only assume something else was at play when the decision was made.

“I fear this is not a good day for democracy but I hope I am proved wrong.”

Meanwhile, Unison North Yorkshire said it would now work to protect jobs, level up pay and conditions and minimise disruption for its members in the transition to the new council.

It said:

“We will be working with all our councils across North Yorkshire to make sure the transition to one council is as smooth as possible.”

The plans are now subject to Parliamentary approval later in the year.

Harrogate district bucks trend of rising covid hospital patients

The number of covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals has increased by 40 per cent in the last week — but just three are in Harrogate.

A media briefing today revealed there are currently 112 covid patients in the county compared with 80 a week ago.

There are three patients in each of Scarborough and Harrogate hospitals, 19 in York and 87 in South Tees.

Coronavirus rates have soared to record levels. Harrogate’s seven-day average rate of infection is now 511 cases per 100,000 people, surpassing the previous January peak. But the number of hospital patients being at Harrogate District Hospital is well below the 67 seen in February.

The North Yorkshire average rate of infection is 570 and the England rate is 520.

Locally, Ripon south and east has become the new covid hotspot, with 69 infections in the last seven days.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services told the media briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum there had been no cause for celebration following Freedom Day on Monday. He said:

“As we meet today it is quite a bleak and depressing record even though we have had on Monday the lifting of restrictions.

“The current county average across North Yorkshire is 570 per 100,000 and that is the highest recorded figure that we have had in North Yorkshire.

“We have the highest figure we have ever had in Scarborough, higher now than the surge that we had in November.

“So that is quite stark in terms of the situation that we are currently facing.”

Mr Webb added there had been a “significant spread of the virus amongst younger people”. However, case numbers were increasing in all age groups. He said:

“I would ask you to continue to wear your face mask, to keep your hand hygiene and to keep ,where you can, to a distance from other people.

“You may feel confident personally, however, other people may be anxious and they may not feel confident and they may be worried about the spread of this virus.”

Harrogate hospital covid patients increase as infections soar

The number of covid patients in Harrogate District Hospital has increased, as case numbers reach their highest levels since January.

A covid press briefing today heard there are now 80 covid patients in hospitals in North Yorkshire, up from 47 seven days ago.

In Harrogate, the number of patients being treated stands at five, compared with two last week.

North Yorkshire’s seven-day infection rate is now 355 per 100,000 people and there have been more than 2,000 new infections since this time last week. The figure for the Harrogate district is even higher at 410.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s accountable officer, told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today that hospital numbers had not reached the levels of previous waves.

She said:

“The last time that the infection rate across North Yorkshire and York was at 300 per 100,000 population, and it is slightly higher than that now, was back in late January and at that point there were over 400 patients in hospital beds across North Yorkshire.

“So whilst we can see that the numbers are increasing they are not at the height of the numbers that they were back in January when the vaccine program was at its very early stage.”

Ms Bloor said those being admitted to hospital in North Yorkshire tended to be younger than in previous waves and were mainly among those who had not yet taken up the offer of a vaccine.

She said the vaccine was making a difference to the numbers of people being admitted to hospital but warned that people should continue to be careful when restrictions are lifted on Monday.

Mrs Bloor said:

“Whilst the rules are changing as we move towards next Monday we all still have the power to ensure that the behaviours that we exhibit help prevent the spread of infections, to help stop other people becoming infected and help protect yourself and your families and I would encourage everyone to make responsible choices as we emerge from the final stage of lockdown next week.”

At the same meeting Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, said that the rise in the number of covid cases tended to be concentrated in those under the age of 35 but that they were now starting to see increases in older people also.

She encouraged people to continue to keep taking precautions even after restrictions are lifted.

Ms Wallace said:

“We are going to take the next step to stage four on the roadmap and it is about living with covid and I urge people to think of the combination of things that we can all do to protect ourselves, our friends, our families and communities.

“Whilst it is now the summer and we are enjoying meeting up and doing things that we could not do a few months ago there are things that we should all do to respect and protect each other.

“This includes meeting in well ventilated areas, where possible outdoors or with windows open if we are indoors.

“Wear face coverings when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet or in an enclosed or crowded space.”

North Yorkshire covid patients doubles — but Harrogate falls to just two

The amount of covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals has more than doubled in the last week — but the number in Harrogate hospital has fallen to just two.

A covid press briefing today heard 47 people are being treated in hospitals in the county, up from 22 seven days ago, with six people in intensive care.

Just two are in Harrogate District Hospital, compared with four last week.

Fifteen patients are in York Hospital and 30 are in South Tees.

Senior health managers say hospitalisations around the county remain down on the numbers seen earlier this year.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s accountable officer told North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum that in January more than 400 coronavirus patients were in hospital in the region.

She said:

“The number of positive cases in North Yorkshire and York is rising.

“However, the number of patients in hospital with covid has remained relatively low at 47.

“If we compare previous months, the last time that the infection rates across North Yorkshire and York was at 300 per 100,000 population was in late January of this year and at the same point in time there were over 400 patients in hospital beds in North Yorkshire, so you can see the difference.

“This does give us confidence that the vaccination program is having the anticipated impact around reducing the risk of death and reducing serious illness, especially where those people have received both doses of the vaccine.”

Ms Bloor encouraged anyone who has not yet received a dose of the coronavirus vaccine to get one.

She added that a pop-up vaccination centre would be open in Scarborough’s Brunswick Shopping Centre on Saturday between 9am and 3pm.

North Yorkshire’s coronavirus rate has risen to 259 infections per 100,000 people with 1,600 new cases in the last week.

The Harrogate district’s figure of 321 is the highest in the county.

Number of covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals almost doubles in a week

The number of covid patients in North Yorkshire’s hospitals has almost doubled in the last week.

Senior health officials are urging people to continue to get the vaccine as cases in the county continue to surge.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group told a meeting of North Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum today that there had been a jump in the number of patients in the last seven days.

She said:

“We have seen that the number of patients who have covid in our hospitals has risen over the last week.

“As of yesterday there were 23 patients in our hospitals and that figure is up from 12 this time last week so we have seen an increase of 11 patients.”

The numbers include six patients in York Hospital and three in Harrogate. There are currently no covid patients at Scarborough Hospital.

The rise in patients comes as the Delta variant of covid continues to spread throughout North Yorkshire, particularly in those under 30, with the number of cases having tripled in a fortnight.

The current infection rates per 100,000 in the county are 139 in Selby, 124 in Craven, 108 in Richmondshire, 91 in Harrogate, 51 in Ryedale, 44 in Hambleton and 28 in Scarborough.

The overall rate for North Yorkshire is now 81. At the start of June, the county’s rate per 100,000 people was just 18.

Mrs Bloor said everyone who was eligible for a vaccine, which is now all over 18s, should come forward to get the jab.

She said:

“We all know how important vaccination is.

“Anything that all of us can do to encourage any of our friends, colleagues, families and people in our communities who have not felt able to come forward yet and take their vaccine [will help].

“We can see from the numbers in our communities and from the numbers of patients in hospitals that the most effective weapon against covid is to have a vaccine and have two doses.

“It may not prevent you from getting the disease itself but it will prevent you from becoming seriously unwell and potentially requiring hospital treatment and stay in hospital.”

Mrs Bloor added that “there was still a link” between the rise in infections and hospitalisations and it had not yet been broken.

So far, 355,012 people have had two doses of a covid vaccine in North Yorkshire according to Public Health England figures.

Health boss denies GP surgeries are not offering face-to-face appointments

A North Yorkshire health boss has denied reports that GP surgeries are closed and not offering face-to-face appointments saying the claims are a “myth”.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum this morning that more than 235,000 face-to-face appointments had been held across the county and York in March.

In North Yorkshire alone in March, the most recent month for which there is complete data, 134,766 face-to-face consultations had taken place.

Mrs Bloor said that there had been national media coverage suggesting that GP practices were closed and she wanted to “dispel this myth”.

She added:

“I am aware that over the last few weeks there has been an increasing perception that GP practices across North Yorkshire and York are closed and not delivering face-to-face appointments for patients and there has been national media coverage in relation to this too.

“I just want to stress that our GP practices across North Yorkshire and York are open, they are seeing patients face-to-face and they have been open throughout the course of the pandemic.

“It is fair to say that services have been provided differently and that has been about protecting patients and staff, particularly through the time of the pandemic, to make sure that we kept people safe.

“But what I don’t want and what the wider NHS does not want is any misconceptions getting in the way of people coming forward, accessing services at their GP practice when they have got health care needs in the full confidence that they will get clinically appropriate personalised care.”

Mrs Bloor said that in March there were 387,000 appointments held in North Yorkshire and York, the most of any month in the last two years with more than 60% of the appointments taking place face-to-face.

The total number of appointments offered for March was 55,000 higher than the same month last year as demand for routine appointments has surpassed pre-covid levels.

Mrs Bloor added that people could expect longer waiting times for in person appointments due to the need to clean waiting rooms at GP surgeries regularly and that, for some people, telephone or online appointments would be the most appropriate way to have a consultation.

She said:

“So just to really reinforce that primary care is open for business and seeing patients, and if anyone is concerned, they can access services in their practice.

“The blended approach to a mixture of face-to-face, and telephone appointments does support our clinical colleagues to make sure that they can reach out to as many people as possible in line with the guidance and to protect the safety of patients and staff.”

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