Huge rise in virtual GP appointments

Patients are being urged not to delay making doctor’s appointments, as the number of video consultations being held has soared during the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 17,500 virtual appointments have been held between GPs and patients over the last four months in North Yorkshire, following government guidance to reduce the number of face-to-face consultations to only those which are essential.

However, NHS North Yorkshire and York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said some people have been avoiding contacting their GP with health concerns in order to avoid contact. It urged people not to delay appointments and said video consultations are a safe way to have any potential problems addressed.

CCG clinical chair Dr Charles Parker said:

“Over the last four months patients have been somewhat reticent about contacting their GP practice, even when they’ve been really worried about their health.

“People wanted to follow the ‘stay at home’ message and were reluctant to reach out to their practice because they were either worried about being in an environment where they might be exposed to a Covid-19 risk or didn’t want to be contributing to the demand on NHS services at a time when there were very real fears our hospitals would be overwhelmed.

“But as more NHS services start returning to normal, now is not the time to be delaying a conversation if you have a health problem that’s making you anxious.

“If you are concerned about something you can always check out you symptoms and get advice on self-care from NHS111 Online. This service will give you simple advice on treatments and where to get help and support from if home treatment is not applicable.

Dr Parker said patients can use NHS11 Online to get advice on whether home treatment is appropriate, or if a pharmacy or GP practice could help. Anyone in doubt can still contact their GP practice in the usual way and arrange a telephone, video or face-to-face appointment, depending on their symptoms and circumstances.

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Of the 77 GP practices across North Yorkshire, 44 conducted their first video consultations in March and April, as lockdown began. Only a few had offered the service before.

One Harrogate patient, who has not been named, has described her virtual appointment and treatment. She said:

“I had a telephone consultation for an infection on my thumb nail; I shared pictures via text with the doctor and then went to collect a prescription from my local pharmacy. It was very swift and efficient and I’m glad I didn’t take up too much time for someone else who needed it.”

No coronavirus deaths at Harrogate hospital for over a week

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths for eight days.

It comes as NHS England confirms the total number of deaths in patients with coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital remains at 82, with no further fatalities in figures released today. The last reported death was on July 15.

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The hospital normally reveals how many patients it has discharged on a Thursday but has not published any new figures today.

Nationally, 19 patients with Covid-19 have died, all aged between 35 and 89 and with underlying health conditions. Four of those were in the North East and Yorkshire.

Call for clarity as Nightingale hospital’s future still unknown

Just nine days remain until the end of the contract for the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate – and there is still no confirmation of its future.

Although the Prime Minister announced on Friday that £3bn of funding was being given to the NHS to fund Nightingale hospitals through the winter if needed, the future of the Harrogate facility has not been confirmed.

Both Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the centre and the NHS have said no decision has been made on whether the contract for the venue will be extended after the end of July.

The venue has been home to the field hospital since late March, when it was set up in just three weeks by NHS staff and the armed forces. The initial contract ran until the end of June, before being extended to the end of July.

Now, with conferences and events across the country able to resume from October 1, businesses are calling for clarity on HCC’s future so they can plan for their recovery from lockdown.

Andrew Manby, a director of family events firm Joe Manby Ltd, which was founded 46 years ago, said the future of the town’s economy is in the balance. He asked the NHS to announce a decision soon:

“No decision is equally damaging as the wrong decision. If they do keep the Nightingale, I understand those needs and people’s health is paramount, but it puts Harrogate into a very difficult position.

“This is potentially a game-changing time. What will be left of the events and meetings industry in Harrogate if this thing goes on through to the middle of next year?”

Andrew Manby of Joe Manby Limited

Andrew Manby is calling for more support for local businesses

This week, the NEC in Birmingham confirmed it would be reopening in full as its Nightingale hospital was decommissioned, leaving a small non-Covid stand-by facility in place until March. With 20 halls, however, only a fraction of its space was taken up by the Nightingale, whereas almost all of HCC has been occupied.

Meanwhile, Manchester’s Nightingale hospital has been placed on stand-by ready for future cases, after treating Covid patients earlier this year. If Harrogate’s Nightingale were to close, Manchester would be the closest alternative for patients from across Yorkshire and the Humber, along with Washington, Tyne and Wear.

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A spokesperson for the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber said:

“We welcome the news that more funding is being made available to fight the Covid pandemic. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Harrogate for their invaluable support to date. We continue to work closely with our colleagues at NHS England and Harrogate Borough Council to agree the next steps for our regional temporary hospital at HCC.”

Beds awaiting patients at the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber in Harrogate Convention Centre

Harrogate Convention Centre has been set up as a field hospital since April, but no Covid patients have been treated there

For Harrogate, the question is not just whether the Nightingale will remain in place, but what happens to the local economy if it does.

HCC says it brings £35m into the area through trade and public events during a normal year. Hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes all benefit from HCC visitors and have previously raised concerns about how they will survive without that trade over the coming months.

Even if the Nightingale hospital is removed, Mr Manby said organisers will be making difficult decisions about whether their events can go ahead safely – and if they are viable with fewer visitors.

Working across the UK, he said his fears were for the local, independent hospitality businesses that make Harrogate unique, and for the resulting impact on the town’s future prospects.

“When HCC come back, as they will, what facilities are going to be left that we can promote the town with?

“It’s the smaller independents that make Harrogate the unique facility it is. If they aren’t going to survive, that’s the unique offering Harrogate has. It’s going to change the whole shape and form of the town – forever, possibly.

“It will be the serious demise of Harrogate as an event and exhibition facility, which has been built up over 50-plus years. It could be gone.

“We will work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Bishop Thornton company chosen for NHS contract

A Bishop Thornton firm has been accredited to work on NHS hospitals across the north of England.

Robinsons Facilities Services, which specialises in commercial heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical repairs and maintenance, won a competitive tender to join the NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC) framework.

It will now supply, repair and service plumbing and heating systems across hospitals including Harrogate, Doncaster, Newcastle and more. It follows the firm’s successful tender last summer to carry out repairs on heating, ventilation and air conditioning on premises owned and managed by Harrogate Borough Council.

Later in 2019, it was also chosen to carry out maintenance for the University of York. Robinsons Facilities Services director Katie Challis, pictured above, said:

“We actually tendered for this specific framework back in December, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the review process, hence us only finding out now.

“To demonstrate our suitably we had to highlight our experience, skills, quality of work, social value and price. Being accepted on the NOE CPC is a massive boost for the businesses and builds on last year’s successes with Harrogate Borough Council and the University of York.”

Since launching seven years ago, Robinsons has expanded to cover routine and emergency maintenance and repairs to hundreds of commercial and public sites across Yorkshire, with a team of 17 staff.

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WATCH: New York Brass Band brings music to Harrogate streets

An open top bus has brought live music to the streets of Harrogate today.

New York Brass Band was touring the town thanks to a collaboration with Harrogate International Festivals.

The band – which regularly performs around the UK and has played Glastonbury in the past – is known for its engaging style and interactive performances. Its music had shoppers dancing in the streets this morning.

 

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New York Brass Band Harrogate

New York Brass Band by the war memorial

Meanwhile, HIF said its digital material has gained a worldwide following since lockdown began. More than 6,000 hours of podcasts, featuring top musicians, authors  and inspirational speakers, have been listened to by audiences  around the world, including Finland, Australia and New Zealand.

HIFAtHome combines archive recordings with resources for families, giving a virtual festival experience with highlights from previous live events.

HIF chief executive Sharon Canavar said:

“Since our first Festival in 1966, our mission has been to promote the arts – and despite the cancellation of our entire summer programme, 2020 won’t be an exception!

“With HIFAtHome we are able to continue with our goal to deliver the very best in the arts. Instead of simply shutting down, or bemoaning our festival position and lack of income, we have harnessed the creativity and agility we are famed for.

“We have spun on a pin to ensure that we can still create and deliver both with artists and for audiences, and the result has been to bring Harrogate International Festivals to life, digitally. At the click of a mouse button, you can now access new commissions and exciting projects, together with looking back at some of the highlights of the last few years.

“The arts is worldwide and people are craving the arts to help make sense of the world right now.”

HIF is now preparing for four days of music performances and star interviews from Thursday, July 23. It will begin with the announcement of the winner of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel on the Year – usually the popular opening ceremony to the crime writing festival, which draws authors and fans from around the world.

Struggling businesses ‘need events to be kept in Harrogate’

Business organisations have called for events to be moved to other venues in Harrogate while the convention centre is out of use.

Events and conferences will be able to resume from October 1 under new government guidance, but Harrogate Convention Centre is expected to play host to the NHS Nightingale hospital for another eight months.

It could mean that events scheduled to take place there will move elsewhere – and, once lost, the business may not return in future years. Harrogate BID said it will do all it can to help organisers and venues keep events in the area, to help local businesses survive. Acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“It goes without saying that this is a blow for Harrogate’s conference and exhibition trade. We now need to do all we can to ensure that whilst the Convention Centre, Royal Hall and exhibition halls are out of commission, those events that are due to take place are offered alternative accommodation within the town, be it in hotels or at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

“Harrogate BID will help in whatever way it can, which could include sponsoring shuttle buses between the town centre and the showground. We are also looking at a calendar of events that will bring people into the town centre on a regular basis.”

Harrogate BID has deep cleaned the town centre and vowed to do all it can to keep events in the local area

The managers of Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate, both on the Great Yorkshire Showground, said they are keen to host events and help local businesses. They said an independent report last year found the venues brought an economic impact of £73.7m to the area. Managing director Heather Parry said:

“Harrogate remains the ideal destination to hold events and our local economy needs events to thrive. This year has clearly been a different picture but we are here, prepared and ready to open safely in October.

“The Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate are both light and airy venues with easy access to outside space and have extensive free car parking, all of which are key to offering safe and accessible spaces.  All profits generated from our venues go towards helping to support the charitable work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

“We are hoping to support our districts hospitality sector by hosting a wide range of events. In times like these we must all pull together and support each other.”

Similarly, the DoubleTree by Hilton Majestic Hotel – which should this week have hosted marquees as part of the Home & Gift Fair at HCC – said it stands ready to play its part. General manager Andy Barnsdale said:

“Of course the loss of the Convention Centre for the foreseeable future is a disappointment, and it is crucial that we don’t lose any events to other towns and cities.

“Harrogate is one of the most popular destinations for conferences, trade shows and events in the UK. Delegates and organisers love coming to Harrogate and we need to let them know the town is very much open for business.”

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Though Boris Johnson today said £3bn of funding was being arranged to enable the Nightingale hospitals across the country to remain in place until the end of March, Harrogate Borough Council said the contract with the NHS has yet to be finalised. However, Nightingale hospitals around the UK are expected to remain on stand-by in case a second wave of cases overwhelms existing hospitals, and in the meantime will offer additional testing and treatment facilities for other illnesses.

Decline in investment

While business owners who have spoken to The Stray Ferret in recent months have not questioned the value of additional NHS facilities to deal with the Covid pandemic, they have raised concerns about the ability of the town to survive without a major source of income through the year.

Events including the Knitting and Stitching Show, the Country Living Christmas Fair and the Bridal Show bring in thousands of visitors who, as well as visiting the halls, stay in local hotels or guesthouses, eat out in town, and visit local shops.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said the drop in trade could see a decline in investment in the area and even the loss of some businesses with a “hard winter” looming. Chief executive Sandra Doherty said:

“Whilst Harrogate has never completely relied on the conference and exhibition trade, it has been the business which underpins the leisure trade.

“There is the choice and number of bed spaces in Harrogate solely due to the Convention Centre trade, and without it we may well see a decline in investment and perhaps the loss of some of these businesses. The number of places to eat and drink also relies on the influx of large numbers of visitors and delegates during conferences and exhibitions.

“What will happen to these is anybody’s guess as they continue to suffer from the impact of Covid restrictions.

“Harrogate is a town which enjoys popularity and status. I really hope this will help us through what could well be a hard winter for many.”

BREAKING: Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital to remain until March

The NHS Nightingale hospital will remain at Harrogate Convention Centre until next March, the Prime Minister has confirmed.

Additional funding of £3bn has been given to NHS England to maintain the emergency hospitals across the country in case of a second wave of Covid cases this winter.

In a briefing from Downing Street, Boris Johnson said:

“This will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the private sector and also to maintain the Nighingale hospitals until the end of March.”

If cases remain at a manageable level for existing hospitals, the Nightingales will continue to offer extra capacity for routine testing and treatment. The Nightingale hospital in Harrogate has been offering CT scanning to non-Covid patients since June 4.

It was set up by armed forces and NHS professionals in just three weeks in spring to offer additional treatment facilities for patients from across Yorkshire and the Humber. Staff were trained on site, staying in local hotels, but no Covid patients were ever admitted and the hospital was eventually put on stand-by.

The NHS was not paying any rent for use of Harrogate Convention Centre under the initial contract. It is not yet clear whether rent will now be payable to Harrogate Borough Council, which owns and runs HCC.

Earlier this year, local businesses raised fears about the impact of having the convention centre unable to host events for at least a year. With the local economy heavily reliant on hospitality trade from public and trade events, many hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes could see a significant drop in their annual turnover as they try to recover from the coronavirus lockdown.

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Hospital discharges two more coronavirus patients

Two more patients have this week been discharged from Harrogate District Hospital after being treated for coronavirus.

It brings the total discharged from the hospital since the start of the outbreak to 141.

#teamHDFT pic.twitter.com/UCiogvjoqm

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) July 16, 2020

Meanwhile, for the ninth consecutive day, no further deaths have been reported in patients with the virus at the hospital, according to figures released by NHS England today.

They show that 19 more patients, aged between 52 and 91, have died across the country, and all of them had underlying health conditions. It brings the total number of deaths in NHS England hospitals to 29,144.

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Man suffers bleed on brain after Ripon assault

Police are appealing for witnesses to a serious assault in Ripon which left a man with a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain and loss of hearing.

The 21-year-old victim was attacked outside Gianni’s Pizzeria in Westgate between 1am and 1.25am on Saturday, July 11.

Police are keen to speak to a group of three men and a woman who, after the assault, were seen getting into a dark-coloured hatchback car. One of the men is believed to have been wearing a grey Armani jumper.

Anyone with information about the group, or the assault, should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Lynn Maguire, or email lynn.maguire@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Alternatively, to report information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200117545.

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Bistrot Pierre set to close Harrogate restaurant

Le Bistrot Pierre in Harrogate looks set to be among the first restaurant casualties of the Covid-19 crisis.

The Cheltenham Parade restaurant’s owners filed for administration on Tuesday after struggling to find funding to see them through lockdown.

The business was immediately sold to Bistrot Pierre 1994 Ltd in a pre-pack deal, but the new owners have chosen not to reopen six of the 25 restaurants around the UK, including Harrogate. Administrators have confirmed 123 redundancies, but have not said how many of these will be in Harrogate.

Joint administrator Will Wright said:

“COVID-19 and the prolonged lockdown period has presented large swathes of the casual dining sector with significant funding challenges, and Bistrot Pierre has been far from immune.

“Despite exploring all alternative options, including relief schemes like the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan, the directors took the difficult decision to file for the appointment of administrators. We are pleased to have been able to conclude a transaction which preserves the majority of the business and associated jobs, ensuring the chain’s 25-year presence on local high streets can continue.”

Bistrot Pierre is the first restaurant in the Harrogate district to confirm its closure following the coronavirus lockdown. The Yorke Arms at Ramsgill has announced it will not reopen its restaurant, but instead become a country house for private hire.

The Country Living St George Hotel was closed in May after its owners, Shearings, went into administration. Hospitality businesses have told The Stray Ferret their futures could hang in the balance if Harrogate Convention Centre is not reopened this year, bringing much-needed trade for hotels, guesthouses, cafes, restaurants and bars.

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