Ripon woman with gum problems unable to see NHS dentist for two years

A woman from Ripon suffering with gum problems has not been able to get treatment at a dentist for two years.

Rachael Kimberley is a single mother on a low income so she cannot afford to go private and relies on NHS dentistry.

Her experience comes after a Healthwatch North Yorkshire report found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.

It also comes after an investigation by the Stray Ferret found patients in the district face a minimum wait of two and a half years to register for an NHS dentist.

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Ms Kimberley has been registered with the same practice on for the last 40 years but told the Stray Ferret that she has struggled since a private provider took over.

She added:

“The provider said that the NHS patients still registered would see no change when they took over the practice.

“I have been suffering with bleeding and receeding gums so I have been trying to go for a check up.

“When I ask to be seen they tell me that I will be seen in ‘due course’ but what does that mean?

“If the problem continues then I fear I will be stumped with a big bill in the hundreds or thousands that I just cannot afford.”

Her story shows the real suffering behind the statistics from the health watchdog. Healthwatch North Yorkshire received 176 calls from the public in the last year about NHS dentists. The vast majority — 84% — were negative.

The health watchdog called in its report for action on the problem and said coronavirus has only acted to exemplify a dental system already under enormous strain and challenge.

Crunch talks to save Harrogate Christmas Market

Harrogate Borough Council and the organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market are set to hold crunch talks to try to save the event for this year.

It will be the first time that the two groups have held a meeting since the council refused a licence for the market on Montpellier Hill just over two weeks ago.

The meeting will take place tomorrow morning and will centre on alternative locations for the Harrogate Christmas Market.

Brian Dunsby and his team of directors are set to talk with Alison Wilson, the head of parks and environmental services at the council.

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the Lib Dems at Harrogate Borough Council, set up the meeting but has been told by the council not to attend. She said:

“I felt very upset and saddened that this annual event would not be going ahead.

“I contacted the council to see if a meeting could be set up to resolve the issue, either by getting the event licenced or looking for alternative sites.

“Harrogate needs this market, it is a part of Harrogate’s events calendar and we cannot and should not lose it.”

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This comes after council leader Richard Cooper formalised talks with a new set of organisers and described Mr Dunsby’s team as the “former Christmas market organisers”.

If the council were to proceed without Mr Dunsby’s team it is unclear what would happen to the 170 traders and 53 coaches which are already booked to attend this year’s event.

Brian Dunsby told the Stray Ferret ahead of his meeting:

“The agenda is alternative locations. I don’t think there are any other locations which are suitable for the Christmas market.

“We have got everything set up and ready to run at Montpellier Hill.

“I am hoping they will explain why the event is not suitable on Montpellier Hill, that is something the council have not yet done.

“We just have to wait and see.”

Council closes kitchen at Masham pub over food hygiene

Harrogate Borough Council has closed the kitchen of a pub near Masham over food hygiene fears.

Magistrates granted the council a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order for The Black Swan in Fearby on Friday.

The order entitles the council to prevent the premises trading in any food-related activity immediately.

Such orders are usually granted when an environmental health officer believes serious breaches of standards are putting customers or staff at risk.

York Magistrates Court also ordered the pub to pay £697 in costs to Harrogate Borough Council on or before September 10.

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The pub has received ‘good’ or ‘very good’ food hygiene ratings in the past five years from the council.

It will need to apply for re-inspection before the order can be lifted.

The Stray Ferret contacted The Black Swan today but was told the manager was unavailable.

We also approached Harrogate Borough Council for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Council to reject 42 requests for extra gritting despite warnings

More than 40 requests for extra gritting on North Yorkshire’s huge roads network are set to be rejected despite warnings over “dangerous” conditions and salt bins running empty.

North Yorkshire County Council, which spends about £7m every winter to treat more than half of the county’s 5,753 miles of roads, considers requests for routes to be added or given greater priority on an annual basis.

This year it has received 42 requests from residents, councillors and businesses, but none have been recommended for approval at a meeting on Friday.

These include 14 requests in the Harrogate district, 15 in Richmondshire, seven in Craven and six in Hambleton.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said the authority already treated a large proportion of roads and that routes are rarely added due to the time and costs involved.

However, he added safety and efficiency were always priorities when deciding how to use resources.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“An efficient winter gritting service is one of our top priorities.

“We are in a part of the country with some very remote and exposed roads, but we still have got to make sure people can go about their daily lives safely in bad weather conditions.

“We have not often made changes simply because we already treat a bigger proportion of our highways network in a routine winter than any other local authority.

“And of course, we do have to prioritise in order to keep the main roads and bus routes open in periods of bad weather.”

Motorways and trunk roads are the responsibility of Highways England, while the county council looks after all other routes.

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The county council is also responsible for treating pedestrian footpaths and aims to cover all busy shopping areas and main footpaths before 9am in severe weather.

Between October 1 and April 30, road gritters are on call 24 hours a day, while farmer contractors, duty managers and overnight patrols are all on standby when necessary.

Roads are treated with rock salt on a priority basis and where icy and snowy conditions are at their worst.

But some residents believe more roads should be added or given greater priority, with one resident describing Regent Road in Skipton as “dangerous” during bad weather conditions.

They said in a request:

“Regent residents wishing to travel to work are faced with a hazardous task. I would imagine some people will be genuinely fearful for their safety.”

Another resident said salt bins in Harrogate are often running empty, while another claimed cars were abandoned on Kent Road in the town last year due to a lack of gritting.

Councillor Mackenzie added:

“We will always look very carefully at requests, especially if there are concerns about safety on busy routes or travel to school.

“But generally speaking, officers will recommend rejection of a request if there are perfectly good alternative routes for a person to get from A to B safely under the current gritting routes.”

Harrogate Town rearranges first game after coronavirus outbreak

Harrogate Town have rearranged their first game after a coronavirus outbreak in the squad.

The club will now play Leyton Orient away on Tuesday, August 24 with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Away tickets will be available to purchase from the ticket office at the Breyer Group Stadium

It comes a week after Harrogate Town said “a number of individuals” were unable to play or train due to a positive test or contact with someone who has had one.

At this time it is currently unclear when Town will play the postponed Crawley Town game.

However, the club were forced to bow out of the Carabao Cup because they were unable to rearrange the Rochdale game before the second round.

A spokesperson for the club said previously:

“It means a number of individuals are unable to play or train due to either a positive test or the requirement to self-isolate in line with government and English Football League guidance.

“The club will continue to work with covid protocols as set out by the EFL to ensure the safety of our players and staff.”

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Olympic champion Adam Peaty heads to Harrogate to inspire swimmers

Double Olympic champion Adam Peaty and soon-to-be Strictly Come Dancing contestant Adam Peaty is set to inspire the next generation of swimmers in Harrogate.

Adam Peaty, who is the most successful British swimmer in more than a century, is bringing a Race Clinic to Ashville College on Monday, August 23.

The sell-out £219 per ticket event, which is being staged in the college’s Sports Centre, is one of ten taking place across the UK, and the only one in Yorkshire.

Swimmers between 8 and 17-years-old can take part. It comes just weeks after one of the biggest names in world ballet Wayne Sleep also visited the school for the Yorkshire Ballet Seminar.

The swim clinic features three different stations. The first will focus on the breaststroke and will be led by Adam Peaty and Edward Baxter, a British swimming champion and record holder.

Adam Peaty’s gym coach Robert Norman will lead the second session which will dive into injury prevention.

Station three, led by Tim Shuttleworth, will give an insight into how to gain the mental edge necessary to compete successfully.

After the practical training sessions of each swim clinic, Adam will share lessons, wins, losses, and biggest learning experiences with the course participants.

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Duncan Archer, Head of Swimming, Athletics and Sports Development at Ashville, said:

“Adam is a national hero, one of our greatest ever Olympians, and an inspiration for young swimmers keen to emulate his success in the pool.

“A few short weeks ago, he was in the Olympic pool, in Tokyo, and soon he’ll be in our pool!”

Anna Rakusen-Guy, Ashville’s Events and Lettings Manager, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that Adam and his team have chosen Ashville for one of their ten race clinics, and the only one in Yorkshire.

“Our sports facility, which includes a heated 30m swimming pool, are used by a variety of different sports clubs and individuals throughout the year.

“Over the years, they have been home to a number of different sport camps, including the Andrew Flintoff Cricket Academy, the Louis Smith Gymnastics Academy, plus others coaching rugby, netball and hockey.”

Birdwatcher chuffed to spot ‘very rare’ white bird in Harrogate

An amateur birdwatcher has spotted what he believes is a rare white bird on the Stray in Harrogate.

David Johnson was walking with his dog and children when the bird caught his eye yesterday afternoon near Kwik Fit.

At first he thought it was a scrap of paper or a pigeon but was very happy to find something a little less common.

He thought that it could be white jackdaw but after asking a few questions he now believes that it could be a leucistic crow.

When Mr Johnson posted picture on a local Facebook group, one person replied to say there was a leucistic crow on the Stray around a decade ago nicknamed ‘Snowy’.

Birds with leucism are similar to those with albinism but they will have normally coloured eyes, legs, feet and bills.

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Mr Johnson told the Stray Ferret that he was chuffed:

“I posted something on a Facebook group. A few people came back to me with some information. They said it could be a leucistic crow.

“It it nice to see, it is really unusual. I walk around the Oval and Stray most days and I have not seen it before.

“The kids seem interested but maybe they weren’t as keen as me. I am really chuffed, we were lucky to spot it and Harrogate is lucky to have it.

“I have been telling lots of people, I am sure I have already bored my neighbours with it! It’s certainly the rarest bird I have ever seen.”

Protesters clash with employees at Harrogate animal testing lab

Protesters have clashed with employees at an animal testing labratory in Harrogate this morning.

A group of around 10 to 20 people who are opposed to animal testing will be stationed at the entrance of Labcorp Drug Development just off Otley Road all day.

They held banners with “animal killers work here”, “animals are not ours to experiment on” and “end animal testing”.

Labcorp defends animal research as necessary to help save human lives. It uses the data it gathers from animals to develop treatments for cancer, heat disease, multiple sclerosis and more.

Jane Rose, who attended the demonstration, told the Stray Ferret:

“We just come together for the animals. We just want to publicise that this company thinks it’s okay to test in animals in 2021.

“Labcorp is a massive company based in the USA and we are tiny. But so what? We still have to speak for the animals.

“I just feel sick whenever I see a white van because I worry that is another load of puppies going to be tested on. It’s just wrong.”

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A short walk away on Otley Road many will recognise 80-year-old Annabel Holt, who has been protesting for the last two decades.

She encourages people to beep as they drive past to show support. Ms Holt told the Stray Ferret:

“I was brought up fox hunting, I was married to somebody who never stopped shooting. I used to kill creatures.

“But I perceived the physical brilliance of all creatures. I think this is horrendous right here in Harrogate.”

The Stray Ferret approached Labcorp for a response to the protester’s concerns. A spokesperson said:

“Labcorp Drug Development takes very seriously our ethical and regulatory responsibilities to treat research animals with the greatest care and respect.

“In addition to being the right thing to do, the proper care of research animals is fundamental to sound scientific research and the ability to develop life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines.

“New drugs must be tested in animals before human clinical trials to ensure the safety of patients and volunteers and there are clear links between excellent animal welfare and medical breakthroughs.”

Knaresborough Christmas Market set to go ahead after land dispute settled

The organisers of Knaresborough Christmas Market are now confident that the event will go ahead this year after a land ownership dispute was resolved.

Harrogate Borough Council had given the organisers’ event management plan the stamp of approval in previous years. But it had not done so this year.

Event management plans set out details of events and are key documents for emergency services and insurers.

Hazel Haas, one of the organisers, told the Stray Ferret previously that without third party approval, the insurance premiums would go up and that would in turn put the event at risk.

So when North Yorkshire County Council officers said this morning that they would step up and ratify the plan it came as a major relief to Mr Haas. She said:

“I have a meeting tonight with the Knaresborough Christmas Market committee where we will discuss this. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster.

“We have now resolved the issued over the ownership of the land.

“Obviously it is all subject to approval, but we can now kickstart the event and start to get some stalls booked in for later this year.

“This is also good news for all of the events Knaresborough has booked in for the festive calendar as well.”

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The Knaresborough market is due to be held on the first weekend of December in its usual location of Market Place.

Karl Battersby, corporate director for business and environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Working jointly with colleagues at Harrogate Borough Council, both organisations have been able to offer guidance to the organiser on how to host an event successfully, and we are pleased that planning for the Knaresborough Christmas market is able to move forward.”

Watchdog report: Just one NHS dentist per 10,000 people in Harrogate district

A health watchdog has laid bare the shocking lack of provision of NHS dentists in the Harrogate district in a new report published today.

NHS Dentistry in North Yorkshire: A Review of Public Feedback 2020-2021 found there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the district.

The report, published by Healthwatch North Yorkshire, also revealed that no Harrogate district dental practices were currently taking on new patients.

With so few dentists and so many patients, the report said many patients faced either long waits or high bills through private treatment.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire also highlighted how confusing it can be for someone attempting to find an NHS dentist.

In most areas across the county there are dentists listed on the NHS Choices website which do not actually provide an NHS service.

Volunteers from Healthwatch North Yorkshire called all of the practices listed on the NHS website in the county to ask if they were taking on new patients.

Three of the 19 in the Harrogate district said they were not NHS practices.

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This means there are 16 NHS dentist practices in the Harrogate district for an estimated 160,500 people. None are taking on new patients.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire received 176 calls from the public in the last year about NHS dentists. The vast majority — 84% — were negative.

Some of the complaints from Harrogate residents:

Anonymous email, December 2020, Harrogate:

“I needed an emergency filling at the beginning of the first lockdown. I was offered a temporary DIY kit which worked for all of two days.

“Weeks go by. I finally got my appointment, only to find that they still can’t fix it because they can’t use all equipment without the correct PPE.

“God knows how many months later and I’ve still only got a temporary fix.”

Anonymous website feedback, April 2021, Harrogate:

“I have been trying to obtain an NHS dentist for my 10-year-old daughter, myself and my husband.

“One dentist in Knaresborough said they could add us to a list that had a three year wait for an appointment.

“Another told me that the only way that my daughter could be seen would be if myself and my husband took a private place at a cost of £75 for an initial consultation each.

“This is disgraceful and holding people ransom for their children to be able to access basic dental treatment.”

Anonymous telephone call, April 2021, Harrogate:

“Caller rang about their partner. They have a hole in their tooth. Rang 111 to arrange an emergency appointment because of the pain – it took a week and a half to get an appointment.

“The dentist charged £90, and gave antibiotics. Told them to come back two days later for further treatment, bill to be £1,600.

“I tried finding NHS dentists elsewhere, none anywhere. Partner can’t pay that as they have been unemployed for the past six months.”

What can be done to fix the problem?

Ashley Green, chief executive of Healthwatch North Yorkshire, said:

“The lack of access to and availability of NHS dentists has severely affected the health and wellbeing of people across North Yorkshire, from Scarborough to Selby, from Craven to Harrogate.

“The impact of coronavirus has only acted to exemplify a dental system already under enormous strain and challenge.

“We feel it is now time to act – and to use upcoming changes to NHS and social care reforms, specifically the emergence of integrated care systems to fuel this change.

“We hear on a weekly basis the struggles of people and families unable to be seen by an NHS dentist, but also the desire by NHS dentists to see and treat their patients more effectively.”