Hospital issues urgent appeal for crutches and walking sticks

Harrogate District Hospital has issued an urgent appeal for patients to return crutches and walking sticks.

Pamela Bagot, principal physiotherapist at the hospital, contacted the Stray Ferret to say the therapy services department wanted to offer them to patients who had undergone surgery or been involved in an accident.

“If you have any crutches and walking sticks you no longer use sitting around at home, please drop them off at therapy services at Harrogate District Hospital so we can reuse them and help our patients back up and walking as soon as possible.

“As most people know, there are problems with transporting goods and deliveries around the country, and by individuals returning these items we will ensure that we have enough patient equipment during the winter months.”

Anyone able to help should ask at hospital reception for therapy services.

hospital crutches appeal

 

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Fund set up in memory of Harrogate musician Aaron Bertenshaw

The mother of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw, who died suddenly aged 26 last week, has set up a fundraising page to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, was a popular and well known figure on the Harrogate district music scene. He was a regular at the Blues Bar, where he first performed and at many other venues, such as Hales Bar.

Sammy Oates, his mother, told the Stray Ferret she was in “complete shock” at the loss of her son “who had the most infectious smile”.

Sammy said she believed Aaron went into a diabetic coma but a post mortem would be held to ascertain Thursday’s cause of death.

She added he had struggled massively to cope with being diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at the age of 18 and had recently been treated for ketoacidosis, which affects people whose bodies don’t produce enough insulin.

“Aaron touched a lot of lives. He was only 26 but packed a lot in. He also worked as a barber and played rugby for Otley when he was young.

“He was such a bright shining star and an absolute social butterfly. Everyone knew him and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“What I remember most is his smile. He had the most infectious smile. There was always a twinkle in the eyes.

“He had a heart of gold. We lost the family dog as well last week and we were all devastated about that.”

A gofundme page set up by Sammy has already raised over £3,000. Donations can be made here.

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She said the money would be used to provide mental health support to people with diabetes. Mental health and diabetes are usually treated separately and there was a need to provide a service that addressed the two issues together, said Sammy.

“Aaron hated being diabetic. He couldn’t handle it and he didn’t take his insulin.

“Because he was a musician he was in the party scene a lot. So at 18 when all his friends were out partying he was at home injecting himself.

“It’s a bit of a vicious circle. Diabetes is massively life changing so he’d get down about it and then not want to deal with it.”

Memorial show

Sammy said a memorial service would be held at St John’s Church in Bilton where he and his family were christened. She also plans to stage a memorial show next year.

Aaron, who was due to perform in Wakefield this weekend, started gigging at 15 and shortly afterwards released an EP record. His mum was a singer and he regularly watched bands with his dad, Sam Bertenshaw.

He played the guitar and his vast musical influences included Ed Sheeran and Leonard Cohen. Besides playing in venues, he busked for cancer charities when the disease claimed the life of his uncle at the age of 42. Sammy said:

“If we can just help one person it will all be worthwhile. Perhaps we could find a counsellor who could advise on living with diabetes rather than just the medical side of things. Maybe set up a charity. I just know I need to do something and I need to do it in his name and now while everyone is aware.”

Aaron leaves Sammy and her partner, Jonathan, dad Sam and his partner Fiona and a sister, Ruth.

Sammy described the Blues Bar as “a huge part of Aaron’s life “.

Simon and Sharon Colgan, the owners of the Blues Bar, paid a joint tribute to Aaron. They said:

“Aaron sang in the Blues Bar from the beginning of his career. He inspired other young musicians and was never demanding of attention

“He was a warm, intelligent and gifted young man who was giving and thoughtful towards others

“He is a part of our blues family, known and loved by everyone We will always have fond memories of Aaron. It is such a tragic loss to us all.”

Patients urged to be kind as abuse prompts GP staff in North Yorkshire to quit

Doctors’ leaders in North Yorkshire have said experienced frontline GP practice staff are being driven out of their jobs because of verbal abuse from patients.

They warned today that surgeries are experiencing a surge in demand for appointments and an aggressive minority is “making the working lives of reception and admin teams a misery”.

They said there had been a wave of resignations among experienced and skilled reception staff from a number of practices in North Yorkshire in recent months because they could no longer put up with the levels of verbal abuse and hostility.

YorLMC – the professional voice for NHS GPs and practice teams across North Yorkshire and City of York, called for the abuse to stop in a statement today.

Dr Brian McGregor, YorLMC’s medical secretary, said:

“Most patients recognise the brilliant job practice reception teams do, but regrettably, there are some who think it’s acceptable to shout, swear, belittle and threaten them and other staff.

“The cumulative impact of these instances of aggression, prejudice, threats and offensive language, is leading to some highly valued members of staff choosing to walk away from a job they’ve loved, while others say they now dread coming into work.

“The NHS is very clear – there is no place for this sort of aggressive behaviour and it has a zero tolerance approach to abuse. If a person is violent, abusive or threatening to their GP or any general practice staff, they could be permanently removed from the surgery.”

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Last week the Leeds Road practice in Harrogate urged patients to be respectful amid rising demand for appointments.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group clinical chair, Dr Charles Parker, added:

“We understand it’s a difficult time for patients. Surgery phone lines are busy, a lot of people want appointments and a lot of people have worries about their health they have been putting off, but now want dealing with quickly.

“However, it is not an excuse to shout, swear or threaten the people who are trying their hardest to help. Some of the abuse our practice teams have been receiving is verging on the criminal and has reduced even the most resilient and experienced members of staff to tears.”

Many patients are frustrated at not always being able to see their GP face-to-face.

But today’s statement said practice staff were skilled at finding the person “most appropriate to meet their clinical needs, which may not always be a GP or nurse”.

Boroughbridge’s impromptu Christmas market proves a hit

A Boroughbridge woman has vowed to do something “bigger and better” next year after organising an impromptu Christmas market in the town.

Laura Hutton thought some stalls would complement the town’s annual late night Christmas shopping by boosting trade.

So with help from Boroughbridge Hardware shop and little more than a fortnight’s planning she arranged for about 13 stalls to go up at the back of Horsefair on Wednesday.

The stalls proved popular and Ms Hutton, a local dog groomer who runs the Boroughbridge Chatter Facebook page, has now set her sights on organising more events in the town next year.

“The late night shopping mainly benefits the high street. I had the idea to tie-in the other shops with some market stalls and raise money for some homeless as well.

“I’m going to go bigger and better next year. I’m thinking of doing a summer fayre. As for Christmas next year – watch this space. I like a challenge.

“We did this in two-and-a-half weeks so it could have been better if we had more time. Still it was a really good night. Everyone came together and I’d like to thank everyone who helped.”

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Ms Hutton said she spoke with Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade and Harrogate Borough Council in advance and made sure “everyone had the right certificates”.

One of the stalls generated £200 for a homelessness charity she works for.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“We have been actively supporting all Christmas markets across the Harrogate district and have provided food, health and covid safety advice to ensure people can enjoy the festivities.”

 

Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate reopens for vaccines today

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopens today as a vaccination site.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, the town has not had a vaccination site since August, when the showground stopped administering jabs.

Since then residents have been travelling to Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds and York, for appointments.

The showground was due to close on December 22 but it now looks set to continue until March, although this has yet to be confirmed, as the government aims to speed up the vaccination programme.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

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Still no omicron infections in Harrogate district as rate drops

There have still been no confirmed cases of the omicron covid variant, as the figure nationally reached 246 today.

There is widespread concern about the potential impact of omicron but so far most cases have been in the south of England and Scotland.

Another 96 covid infections were confirmed today in the Harrogate district.

The district’s seven-day rate has fallen slightly in recent days and now stands at 438 cases per 100,00 people. The England average is 478 and the North Yorkshire average is 404.

The district’s current covid hotspot is Starbeck, which has recorded 64 infections in the last seven days.

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District care homes reduce services after unvaccinated staff forced to leave

Some care homes in the Harrogate district have had to cut back services because unvaccinated staff left rather than having covid vaccines.

The government made it mandatory for all care home workers to be vaccinated by November 11. It said this would protect people being cared for.

Richard Webb (pictured), corporate director for health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, told a media briefing this week that nine staff out of 2,000 at council-run care homes had refused to have the vaccine and therefore either had been redeployed or had their contracts terminated. Five of these were in Harrogate.

“That has caused some issues for us. We are obviously trying to replace people who have left us and that has meant we have had to downscale temporarily some of our day and respite services as people know them.

“We’ve put alternatives in place but that might be in a different location to your normal location for a break so we are in touch with families about that.”

Mr Webb said there were 500 care providers in total across North Yorkshire, adding:

“We’ve had approximately 240 people out of 20,000 who decided not to have the vaccination. Again, unfortunately they will be leaving social care. But overall that’s an incredible record and compares very well with many other places across England.

The county council began a social care recruitment drive Make Care Matter to plug the staff shortfall. Mr Webb said it had so far generated 170 applications and that 31 interviews were coming up and 14 people had been appointed to jobs.He said there would be a second recruitment phase after Christmas.

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Academy status could lead to investment in Harrogate school, says head

In The headteacher of St John Fisher Catholic High School has said becoming an academy could help the school invest in more modern facilities.

The school, which has about 1,450 pupils aged 11 to 18, joined the Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust this week.

Steve Mort said pupils and parents would notice little immediate change but there were long-term benefits of being part of a multi-academy trust with 11 other schools that are directly funded by government rather than through North Yorkshire County Council.

He said it would make it easier to get capital investment for new buildings or refurbishments and the school would also benefit from economies of scale by sharing some back office functions with other schools in the academy.

Mr Mort said:

“The normal everyday running of the school school and children’s experiences of it should not feel that different. However, over time there are plans to develop our infrastructure.”

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The school, on Hookstone Drive, was built to accommodate 800 pupils on the site of a former convent and now has almost double that number.

Besides St John Fisher, The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust has 11 other schools, including St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and St Robert’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Knaresborough. It plans to increase this number to 18.

‘The time is right’

Mr Mort, who joined the school last year, said St John Fisher was always destined to become an academy to fulfil the vision of Marcus Stock, the Catholic bishop of Leeds, who wants all 85 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Leeds divided into five multi-academy trusts.

The school therefore wasn’t being “forced” into the move, said Mr Mort, unlike some that become academies. He added:

“The governors feel that the school is financially stable and a new leadership team has established itself so the time is right.”

He added the associated sixth form with St Aidan’s Church of England High School would not be affected by the move.

Although St John Fisher is no longer financed or managed by the county council, it still has to report to it in certain areas, such as safeguarding and provision of funding for special needs pupils.

The trust, which is based in Menston, West Yorkshire, is named after Bishop William Gordon Wheeler, who was Bishop of Leeds from 1966 to 1985.

 

 

Harrogate Town bid for FA Cup glory tomorrow

Harrogate Town are one win away from a potential FA Cup match against a Premier League team.

Town travel to Portsmouth tomorrow to play in the second round of the cup.

The Sulphurites have never reached the third round of the FA Cup, which is when the Premier League and Championship sides enter the competition.

So if Simon Weaver’s men pull off an upset at Fratton Park they can start dreaming of a cup game against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Leeds United.

They face a monumental task: Portsmouth are two-time winners of the cup, having lifted it in 1939 and then again in 2008 under manager Harry Redknapp. They have home advantage and are in good form on the fringes of the play-offs in Division One, which is one division higher than Harrogate.

The match is a reversal of the first round tie from the 2019, when Pompey won 2-1 after Mark Beck had given Town an early lead.

Weaver said:

“It’s a great challenge that’s for sure. Portsmouth are a massive club, as we know from the away support when they played against us last time in the FA Cup, but we go to Fratton Park, which is a great ground to visit, and they have a fantastic partisan support behind them.

“I’ve heard we’re taking a good number away from home, which is superb for us as a club and superb for the players, but it’s a big test again and one that we’re going to relish.”

Kick-off is at 3pm and the draw for the third round takes place on Monday.

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Jennyfields residents urged to be patient over gas leak payments

Jennyfields residents still waiting for £60 gas compensation payments have been told they will be issued automatically.

About 3,500 homes in Jennyfields were without gas for 48 hours after a major gas leak on Ripon Road in October.

Northern Gas Networks, which distributes gas to homes and businesses in Yorkshire, the North East and northern Cumbria, automatically issues £60 compensation payments through customers’ gas suppliers for loss of supply for more than 24 hours.

But six weeks after the leak, which the company said affected more people than any other incident it had dealt with in the last 18 months, some people have yet to be paid.

Eileen Brown, customer experience director for Northern Gas Networks, told the Stray Ferret some payments had been delayed because gas suppliers had gone out of business.

Ms Brown said Northern Gas Networks would process the payments when it was notified of the new suppliers. She added if it made the payments before then they could be delayed even longer because they would get tied up in lengthy administration processes.

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She pledged all 3,500 homes would be fully compensated automatically and asked residents not to call Northern Gas Networks requesting payments.

“Payments will be coming to them. They don’t have to do anything for it.”

Asked how long people could expect to wait, Ms Brown said it was likely to be weeks rather than months but added the timings were “beyond our control” because of the need to wait until customers were transferred to new suppliers.

Some customers on the priority services register are also entitled to £48 compensation payments for the provision of alternative heating. Again, Ms Brown pledged they would be made.

‘1 in 43 years occurrence’

The leak occurred when sub-contractors damaged a pipe during deep excavation work about three metres below the surface of Ripon Road, near the Hydro.

Northern Gas Networks converted the Styan Community Centre in Jennyfields into an emergency hub to respond to the incident.

A total of 355 Northern Gas Networks engineers and volunteers helped that weekend, aided by 30 voluntary organisations. The company gave away 800 electric heaters, “slightly fewer” electric hobs, 50 oil filled radiators and 1,500 food vouchers worth £10 each.

The company’s response was widely praised by people in the area.

Ms Brown said the loss of gas supply happened on average once every 43 years and most customers would not experience this again in their lifetimes.

Asked how much the incident had cost Northern Gas Networks, she said she was unable to say but added:

“We do the right thing for customers. The cost is the cost. It’s about being there for customers.”