Vicky Carr, Author at The Stray Ferret

Year of rapid growth as Stray Ferret marks first birthday

The Stray Ferret today marks its first anniversary, celebrating rapid growth in the last 12 months.

The website launched earlier than planned to cover the covid crisis as it unfolded last March, in the weeks before the first lockdown began.

In the last year, we have published more than 3,000 stories, had more than five million page views and attracted 12,000 social media followers.

The site has focused on delivering valuable news for the community during the pandemic, from keeping track of the daily covid figures to telling the stories of those doing their best to keep everyone smiling in the toughest of times, such as last year’s VE Day celebrations. Free jobs listings for the district and an index of businesses have also been added as we play our part in helping the local economy to survive.

After one of the most difficult years anyone in the Harrogate district can remember, we will also be ensuring those who have been lost in the last year are not forgotten. Our series of tributes to lost loved ones begins next week.

Meanwhile, we have also carried out in-depth investigations into how public money is spent.

We published a series of articles on the decision-making behind Harrogate Borough Council’s move to its new civic centre, showing that the failure to take into account the high value of the land at Knapping Mount when presenting the figures to the public.

We also investigated how the council’s failure to produce an acceptable local plan left the district open to predatory developers seeking opportunities to build homes for profit, rather than to meet local need.

Our journalists have broken exclusive stories, such as the hotelier who held a New Year’s Eve party in breach of covid lockdown rules and police investigations into allegations of fraud at a company where a Harrogate councillor and MP’s case worker was a “person of significant control”.

We began publishing with a small team of journalists in March 2020. Since then, the news team has grown to seven, along with four commercial staff and a content producer.

Tamsin O’Brien, owner of the Stray Ferret and former head of BBC Yorkshire, said the news team has aimed to cover the issues that people locally care about:

“Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our stories, read us and followed us on social media. We know that there is a real demand for high quality, local digital news content.

We have really tried to cover every aspect of how covid has impacted lives and investigated the issues that matter to people. We live in a time of great change and people locally want to engage in those issues and have a voice.

“We are frequently asked to look into matters concerning our readers, demonstrating their trust in us to report it accurately, impartially and fairly.”

Over the coming months, the Stray Ferret will be working with more local businesses to help them reach a large and loyal audience. The aim is for the site to be fully funded through advertising, with a speciality in making video shorts for social media on behalf of local advertisers.

Head of commercial Emma Harris said the next six months will be significant as lockdown measures are eased:

“Now we have an established quality news platform, we can concentrate on driving the commercial side of the business forward. 

“Times have been difficult for businesses, however, with all legal restrictions set to be lifted in June, I am confident that businesses will want to celebrate what they have to offer and we’re looking forward to partnering with them.”

The Stray Ferret is also committed to developing journalism students and has work placement arrangements in place with Leeds University and Leeds Beckett University. In the past year we’ve had four successful work placements.

Harrogate district businesses await details of support in Budget

Businesses across the Harrogate district are eagerly awaiting details of the support on offer to them in the Chancellor’s Budget, to be announced later today.

An extension to the furlough scheme, continued business rates relief and moves to support sole traders are high on the list of hopes for local business leaders.

Mike Patterson, head of employment at law firm Berwins, said support for continuing employment was vital, as well as more support being offered to self-employed people. He said:

“The furlough scheme has been a major financial lifeline for many businesses, especially those forced to close during this lockdown, and for it to continue for another few months would be a massive boost in helping to save jobs and hopefully minimise redundancies.

“We’re also expecting the Chancellor to announce a new wave of grants for the self-employed. Although this scheme could either be scrapped or scaled back from May when lockdown restrictions are expected to start being lifted and self-run businesses could reopen.

“There are then the sole traders and company directors we act for who have had no income support from the government at all. We’re aware that the Chancellor is under pressure to introduce a support scheme for those in this category and I hope to see support for those who have fallen through the gaps of previous support – up to three million people.”

Neil Addley, left, and Mike Patterson

Neil Addley, who runs automotive data specialist firm JudgeService, is expecting an increase in corporation tax, as well as sector-specific support. For JudgeService’s clients, keeping fuel duty and vehicle tax static would help, along with measures to support the infrastructure for electric vehicles, both for business and personal use.

Mr Addley, who launched new public survey platform YourPoll in autumn 2020, said rates reductions and a short-term cut in VAT would help the high street. However, he said he felt positive about the prospects for his businesses and the local economy over the coming months:

“Demand for vehicles and for reviews is likely to rise as we emerge from lockdown. Hospitality will reopen. People have been cooped up for the best part of a year and will be happy to splash the cash.”

His views were echoed by Marc Squires and Kevin Masheder of SignHub, who work with many hospitality clients. Marc said:

“It would be good to see the possibility of support extended as things are still up and down and it might be a while until businesses can return to normal later in the year.

“We work with a lot of local retail and hospitality businesses so, if the government can help get them going again with support and schemes to help them once they are back open, this will have a positive knock-on effect to other businesses that rely on working with them too, which hopefully will boost the local and national economy.”

For the property sector, the biggest question is whether the stamp duty holiday will be continued. Tim Waring, head of residential at estate agent Lister Haigh, said:

“Some form of tapering would be logical as a possible three-month extension would merely be deferring the ‘cliff edge’. This is not the answer to achieve market stability.

“The property market thrives on confidence and at this time, people want more than anything to hear good news. Economic uncertainties, including Brexit which seems to have dropped out of the headlines, will not produce a thriving housing market.”

Mr Waring said he also wants to see measures brought in locally to ensure town centres are able to reopen, even if some businesses do not survive. He called on Harrogate Borough and North Yorkshire County councils to work together with local businesses to bring people back to the high street, such as through lower parking charges.

Marc Squires, left, and Teresa Bowe

Looking across all sectors, Teresa Bowe, founder of CCF Accountancy, said the government had to balance the need to maintain the economy and employment against the huge sums spent over the last year.

“I’m not expecting income tax rates to change but maybe thresholds. The government has a tricky job of clawing back the money used to support business throughout this time but they still need to balance the books.

“I expect indirect taxes to be targeted such as capital gains tax and I wouldn’t be surprised if they reduced business disposal relief. There has been talk of aligning self employed taxes to employed and they have already got closer in recent budgets, but I suspect this gap will be narrowed further.

“I hope that they keep the employers rates and allowances in place and I also hope that they do not increase the rate of tax on dividends.”

Meanwhile, authorities across North Yorkshire are hoping the Budget will include announcements about investment in transport infrastructure.

Invest East Coast Rail has set out a raft of benefits, which it says is worth £11 billion to the economy, from improving the East Coast Main Line. The group has called for measures to encourage people to use the route more as lockdown is eased, saying confidence in its reliability is vital after 17 major incidents in 2018 cost the economy £46 million.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, who represents the authority on Invest East Coast Rail, said:

“The East Coast Mainline provides an essential transport link for North Yorkshire residents and businesses and the rail line certainly merits further investment, particularly to address capacity constraints.”

Hospitality businesses hopeful of summer boom in Budget

Hospitality businesses across the Harrogate district say they are optimistic about their prospects over the coming months.

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to unveil the details of his Budget tomorrow, restaurant owners and business leaders say the summer could see a bounce back in their fortunes after months of uncertainty.

With restrictions set to ease, local businesses are anticipating high demand as case numbers fall and the vaccination programme brings renewed confidence.

Jo Straker, who runs William & Victoria restaurant in Harrogate with her husband David, said there was “light at the end of the tunnel” after a very difficult start to the year:

“We expect to be busy when we reopen and I think the local economy will be buoyant with people desperate to socialise, have some pampering, go shopping, enjoy sport, culture and freedom of going further afield. We will be more appreciative of the things we couldn’t have during lockdown and desperate to get out and enjoy living life again.

“The summer is looking promising with many choosing to holiday in Britain this year. Harrogate and North Yorkshire will be a big draw for domestic tourism so I am optimistic that the local economy will start to recover if everything goes to plan, we take the necessary precautions to keep each other safe and get the financial support to help us recover.”

Mrs Straker also said last summer’s Eat Out to Help Out had been positive for the restaurant, though it meant the beginning of the week was very busy before a drop-off in demand on Thursday. She said she hoped for a similar scheme including more days of the week, or perhaps a voucher scheme which would encourage people to spend locally over a period of time.

David and Jo Straker, owners of William and Victoria restaurant in Harrogate

There are also broader measures across all sectors which she said would help the business to survive the coming weeks and months.

“We are hoping, and expecting, the Budget to announce the continued VAT reduction at 5% and business rates holiday as well as an extension to flexible furlough.

“All these have been critical to the survival of the business. Takeaway keeps us ticking along but it’s not enough to cover all our fixed costs.

“We’re expecting Corporation Tax to go up. Although this is something we usually dread, it won’t have a huge impact on our business this year since we have only been able to open for five months of this financial year and that’s with considerable restrictions, so would be fortunate to break even.

“Despite all this, we are optimistic for the future and a full recovery over time with the correct financial help put in place and the continued support of our customers.”

Across the Harrogate district, as well as businesses directly involved in hospitality, there are many which work with them and have been hit by their lack of trade in the last year. Paul Berwin, senior partner at Berwins solicitors, said it was not just the hotels, cafes and restaurants that needed help to get back on their feet.

“Those businesses which have been unable to operate, or only able to do so spasmodically, need proper funding so that reopening is sustained, and beneficial.

“With a local economy so heavily focussed on hospitality and tourism, which I think will recover, the businesses serving those sectors need to be helped.”

The latest statistics show that the Harrogate district is bucking the national trend in terms of employment, with the number of people out of work sitting at 3.7% compared to a UK-wide figure of 6.2%.

For Teresa Bowe, owner of CCF Accountancy, this could help to support the hospitality industry as it tries to get back on its feet. She said:

“From what I have seen in my own clients’ situations, there are more people better off or the same, rather than worse off as a result of the covid situation.

“I think a lot of working practices that came in as a result of the lockdowns will stay, such as flexibility on working. I expect things to bounce back reasonably quickly.

“I think the prospects for the next 12 months are good, assuming that the virus is kept at bay.”

Parents volunteer to help Ripon school with covid tests

Schools across the Harrogate district are preparing to begin a major covid testing programme as they plan to reopen their doors to all pupils next week.

At Ripon Grammar School, testing begins next Monday, with small groups of students brought in to carry out their tests before going home again.

They will continue with home learning for the first two days until everyone has had one test, before returning to classrooms on Wednesday.

Each pupil will receive a second test in school that week, followed by a third the following week. They will then carry out their own tests at home twice a week.

Deputy headteacher Helen Keelan-Edwards said:

“The staff tests will be delivered before they come back and they’ll be able to do those at home. Students are doing them in school to begin with so they know how to do it properly at home.”

In-school testing has been recommended by the government for all secondary age pupils, followed by home testing. It has also advised students and staff to wear masks in all areas of buildings where social distancing is not possible.

Primary school pupils will not be tested routinely, but staff will be given two tests to take at home each week. Routine testing is being introduced after significant outbreaks of coronavirus in schools when they were open before Christmas.

To get through enough tests to enable students to return, Ripon Grammar School will have 30 volunteers on site each day to help deliver the programme. While they do not have to be medically trained, they will work throughout the school day and are asked to commit to as many days as possible.

Mrs Keelan-Edwards said the number of volunteers had been higher than expected, adding:

“We have been overwhelmed by parental support. It has been absolutely amazing. – we can’t believe it.

“We’re really lucky with the parents we have and the support they give the school.”

Other secondary schools in the Harrogate district told the Stray Ferret they are still preparing the final details of their testing programmes, which will be announced this week.

Call for public to engage with Harrogate Station Gateway plans

Residents are being urged to engage with a consultation to help shape the future of Harrogate town centre.

The Station Gateway project could see funding of £7.8m spent transforming the bus and rail interchange and the public space around them.

Proposals also include reducing Station Parade to just one lane for cars, allowing more space for cycling lanes, to encourage more people to use public transport or to walk or cycle.

The plans have been put forward by North Yorkshire County and Harrogate Borough Councils, in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Craven and Selby district councils, as part of a £31m grant awarded through the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). As well as the Harrogate proposals, the project includes changes for Selby and Skipton’s stations.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“Improving the gateways to these towns will not only make them more attractive, but will also provide infrastructure for sustainable travel. We have looked at barriers to people accessing public transport, cycling and walking and devised schemes to address these.

“I hope people will have their say through the consultation and take advantage of the online events to learn more and to ask questions.”

Public events are being held online for residents to hear more about the plans and to ask questions about them. The Harrogate events take place on Wednesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 10, both at 6pm.

The consultation runs until Wednesday, March 24, and anyone planning to take part is encouraged to engage with one of the online sessions beforehand. To find out more, click here.

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said:

“Through the Harrogate Congestion Study, it was clear the community wanted to see improvements to walking, cycling and public transport prioritised. The TCF project is the first step to delivering this and I’m pleased that the hard work and determination of council officers has paid off, and helped secure around £8million for the Harrogate bid.”

The authorities involved have promised that public feedback will be used to help shape the next stage of the plans.

They have already come under fire from business groups, including Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate, who said they money could be better spent improving other areas such as Cambridge Street. However, the TCF can only be used for projects relating to transport.

Retailers on Albert Row, which runs along Station Parade, have also raised concerns about how the proposals will affect the area nearest their businesses, saying they could not fairly comment without more information.

What’s your view of the Station Gateway proposal? Email letters@thestrayferret.co.uk with your thoughts and we may include it on our letters page, Stray Views, published each Sunday.

‘Use your conscience’ warning as sun brings visitors to Nidderdale

Locals are bracing themselves for an influx of visitors in Nidderdale as a weekend of sunny weather is forecast.

There have already been reports of large numbers of walkers, cyclists and bikers in Pateley Bridge and surrounding villages today.

Now, with the easing of lockdown restrictions in sight, fears have been raised that even more people will breach lockdown rules and descend on local communities this weekend.

Cllr Mike Holt, Mayor of Pateley Bridge, said:

“I am aware of [the number of visitors in the area today] and I am concerned about it. I have asked people to stay away if at all possible, because we aren’t out of the woods yet.”

Cllr Holt said Pateley Bridge Town Council had spoken to local police, but they had limited powers to enforce government guidance. A request for additional signage, similar to that put up along Nidderdale Greenway, had also been unsuccessful.

Even in his home village of Glasshouses, Cllr Holt said there had been a rise in the number of people visiting. He said the numbers across the area could rise further over the first weekend since the Prime Minister outlined cautious plans for easing restrictions.

Cllr Hold added:

“Why can’t we wait just a few more weeks? It’s a bit frustrating.

“Speaking personally, I’ve done all I felt I could and people are just going to have to do what feels right for their own conscience.”

The area’s busiest walking areas, including Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross reservoirs, are also preparing for a busy weekend. A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:

“Getting out in the open and enjoying some exercise is really important for everyone at the moment. We know that our reservoirs have provided a great recreational space for lots of people during lockdown and with warmer weather on the way, our sites may start to get even busier.

“We’d ask that, as always, any visitors to our sites respect covid guidelines and social distancing wherever possible. Our carparks can get very busy during popular periods, so please make sure you park in a dedicated spot, as parking elsewhere may cause obstruction for local residents, the emergency services and our reservoir engineers.”

North Yorkshire Police said it continues to issue fixed penalty notices to people found to be outside without good reason, and having travelled away from their local area.

Chief Inspector Charlotte Bloxham, deputy lead for North Yorkshire Police’s covid-19 response, said:

“It’s really important that we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves and through irresponsible actions, jeopardise the progress we have made and need to keep making, to enable us all to move forward.

“Until the Government indicates that it is safe to move to the next stage of the road map on March 29, the current lockdown rules and regulations will stay in place and North Yorkshire Police will continue to police them. We will take the necessary enforcement action required to protect the green shoots of recovery we are starting to see and to protect all our chances of getting out of lockdown.

“So I would ask the public to keep going. We are on the right path and we are doing the right things, but we must remain vigilant to the threat of the virus. Covid-19 has not gone away, please carry on sticking to the rules, so we can continue to move towards better times ahead.”

Harrogate Christmas Market set to go ahead this year

Plans are being made to ensure Harrogate Christmas Market can return to the town centre in 2021.

The market, which first took place in 2012, had to be cancelled last year as changing covid restrictions made it impossible for organisers to plan a safe event without risk of last-minute cancellation.

However, following the government’s ‘road map’ out of lockdown which could see all restrictions lifted in June, the committee of organisers is preparing to meet for the first time to put firm plans in place for this year.

Organiser Brian Dunsby said:

“The aim is to review the market plans and agree changes needed – depending on the precautions required during November – if any!

“In the meantime we hope to start inviting applications from our established market traders based on the same layout and prices that were agreed for 2020 before it got cancelled.”

The market has been held at the bottom of Montpellier Hill in Harrogate since it was founded. After growing rapidly, for the last few years it has reached what organisers say is capacity, with around 200 traders and a focus on Yorkshire produce and products.

In previous year, the market has drawn crowds of up to 60,000 people across its four days. As well as their own traders, organisers say one of the key aims of the market is to drive footfall into the town centre to support local businesses in the run-up to Christmas.

This year’s event will be held from Thursday, November 18 to Sunday, November 21.

It is the latest event in the Harrogate calendar to confirm plans to proceed this year. This week, Harrogate International Festivals announced its crime writing festival would open in July, while Birstwith Show is also planning to go ahead.

Nidderdale Greenway blocked by huge fallen tree near Ripley

A huge tree has fallen on the Nidderdale Greenway, blocking the route to the east of Ripley.

Local resident Megan Hatfield spotted the blockage when she was cycling on the route today and was forced to turn back.

She said the section of the Greenway was “passable by scrambling on foot, but not by bike”.

The tree is thought to have fallen within the last 24 hours. The Greenway is popular with walkers and cyclists, especially at weekends when it is often busy.

North Yorkshire County Council has been alerted to the blockage, which lies less than a kilometre east of where the path meets the A61 at Ripley. However, a spokesperson said trees adjacent to a right of way are the responsibility of the landowner, and NYCC is working to find and make contact with the relevant person.

Nidderdale Greenway follows the route of an old railway line from Harrogate to Ripley. It was opened in 2013 and is maintained by Sustrans as part of its national network of cycle routes.

Harrogate Nightingale closure expected to be announced next month

Expectations are growing that the NHS will decommission the Nightingale hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre next month.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of cautious reopening over the coming months, and news that the vaccination programme is already having an impact on covid infection and illness rates, speculation is mounting that the Nightingale hospital will be dismantled when its contract ends on March 31.

It has never been used to treat covid patients, even through the peaks of the crisis when hospital admissions were at their height. With increasing evidence that the chances of severe illness requiring hospitalisation are lower among those who have been vaccinated, it looks likely that the Nightingale will not be needed in future.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Newby, who lives in Ripon and has long argued for the convention centre to be returned to Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) use, told the Stray Ferret:

“I suspect that the contract won’t be renewed. It certainly should not be.

“There is no immediate or foreseeable use of the convention centre as a hospital – even in the very unlikely event that there were a further major spike in the disease. It has been a costly white elephant from the start and should be returned to the council without delay.”

NHS paying Nightingale bills

The NHS has been paying bills of between £125,000 and £160,000 per month for utilities at the convention centre. While local hospitality businesses are keen to have the centre back up and running to deliver trade for the town, some argue it makes more sense for it to have a steady income which at least covers its costs while major events are not possible.

Kimberley Wilson, chair of guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate, said:

“The NHS are paying to have the Nightingale in there, so it keeps the bills paid. If they pull out and we can’t use it, it’s haemorrhaging money. If the NHS are happy to pay those bills, it keeps it from being a strain on council resources.

“What’s more important is when can we have events. We want it there until we can get big events in and then we want it out. Let’s just make sure it’s all ready to go when we can.”

Ms Wilson said guesthouses are taking bookings for events from the summer, including the Home and Gift Fair and the Bridal Show, and were hopeful that restrictions would be lifted in plenty of time to allow them to go ahead.

However, she was also keen to hear what the new destination management organisation (DMO) has planned to encourage people to come to the Harrogate district once travel and overnight stays are allowed again, to enable businesses to begin planning.

The new DMO appointed a manager, Gemma Rio, who began work in October. She was not available for interview with the Stray Ferret, but a spokesman for HBC, which set up the DMO, said:

“Work is underway to establish a new Destination Management Organisation and position the Harrogate district as an exceptional place to live, visit and invest.

“An integral part of this work is the development of a destination management plan that will ultimately guide the activities of the DMO and its partners. In the short term, we have a plan to capitalise on the ‘staycation’ opportunity and attract visitors to the district when it is it safe to do so.”

Announcement expected soon

The NHS has not commented on its intentions for the site, or the other Nightingale hospitals around the country, other than to say it remains on stand-by to be brought into use if needed. However, it is expected that an announcement will be made soon by the government about its future.

Last summer, an initial three-month contract for the Nightingale in Harrogate from April to June was extended by a month to the end of July. Negotiations then continued before it was finally confirmed in mid-August that the hospital would remain in situ until the end of March.

It has since been used to offer CT scans to non-covid patients, helping Harrogate and District NHS Trust to catch up with patient referrals delayed during the early months of the pandemic.

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Convention Centre about when the convention centre might re-open.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokeswoman said this week’s government route out of lockdown meant the earliest visitors could return to the district was April 12.

A spokeswoman for Harrogate Convention Centre said:

“We cautiously welcome the fact that all lockdown restrictions could be lifted in June.

“As ever, the devil is in the detail and we don’t yet have clear guidance on what these mean for our industry.

“We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming months as we develop our plans for reopening.”

Call for inquiry into Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital

A health scrutiny board could investigate the building and use of the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate.

The West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider next month whether to accept calls for it to hold an inquiry into decisions made about the facility.

Cllr Jim Clark, who represents Harrogate Harlow division, spent 10 years as chair of North Yorkshire’s scrutiny of health committee and now sits on the West Yorkshire equivalent, ensuring a voice for people in the Harrogate district who are treated at its hospitals.

Speaking to the committee yesterday, he said:

“This was a tremendous success, building the Nightingale hospitals, and the one in Harrogate was built in about four weeks after 10 years of bed closures in North Yorkshire…

“This has always been a campaigning committee and I have been proud to be a member of it… But I think we need a public inquiry into why did we never use the Nightingale hospital? They say now that it was an insurance policy, but if we had needed to use it, could we have used it?

“I wrote to the secretary of state in 2018 saying that we were so short of staff in the Harrogate CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) at that time that it was affecting performance. So if we had needed the Nightingale hospital there wouldn’t have been people there to man it.”

The health scrutiny committee wrote to the NHS twice last August calling for the Nightingale hospital to be kept open, and again in November suggesting it be used for vaccinations. Cllr Clark praised the work of those running the Great Yorkshire Showground site, but said the awarding of contracts and the ability to make any use of the Nightingale hospital needed to be scrutinised.

He said the example of trouble at Welcome to Yorkshire which was only revealed years after the 2014 Tour de France served as a warning about the need for close scrutiny at the right time.

“We need to get this done now. I would welcome any help you can give me to get a proper public inquiry and it shouldn’t affect the on-going work of the pandemic.”

Scrutiny committee chair Cllr Helen Hayden told Cllr Clark that a working group meeting in March would decide whether to take his call for an inquiry forward.

Responding to Cllr Clark, Anthony Kealy, NHS England director in West Yorkshire, said the Nightingale was still being used for diagnostic scans and its future beyond the end of March was yet to be announced by the government. He added:

“We have regarded it largely as a success that we have never had to use the Nightingale for in-patient care. It was, as Cllr Clark suggested, developed as a bit of an insurance policy agains the NHS being overwhelmed.

“The Nightingale programme was rolled out very rapidly at the point where we were looking at northern Italy and its health services being overwhelmed. If the NHS had got to that point in April, the Nightingale would have certainly opened, but we managed to avoid that.”

He said while it was true to say it would have had to bring staff in from existing hospitals from the system, that was to be expected. Staff were busy in their daily roles, as would be expected, and would have been redeployed from routine care to run the Nightingale.

However, committee member Cllr Betty Rhodes said “robbing Peter to pay Paul” with staff moving from hospitals to the Nightingale would not have been a workable solution. At the time, she said, the hospital trusts were looking at cutting routine services and could not have spared staff.

She also supported calls for an inquiry, including into the procurement processes used during the pandemic to ensure they represented value for money.

Cllr Hayden added:

“This discussion will go on about procurement, about the Nightingale hospital… We will discuss as a board, looking back at the pandemic and assessing what went right, what went wrong, what do we need to learn from it. It’s going to be an on-going process.”

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NHS paying Nightingale bills

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Announcement expected soon

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