Hairdressers and others are being asked to donate gowns to Harrogate District Hospital after a national shortage affected supplies.

Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity (HHCC) posted on its Facebook page today calling for help in sourcing the gowns.

It said: “At the Trust, we are doing OK for the next few days, but we need to plan ahead so we don’t run out of stock. We have a few initiatives under way already to increase our stock, but more needs to be done.

The war veteran who has raised almost £25m for the NHS is set to be the guest of honour at the official opening of Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital next week.

Originally from Keighley, Captain Tom Moore – who hit headlines after walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday – will be part of the ceremony via video link from his home on Tuesday.

Money continues to pour in to his fundraising page, and Captain Moore – who served in India and the Burma campaign during the Second World War – is still walking after hitting his target of 100 laps earlier this week.

He said: “I am still amazed by the amount of kindness and generosity from the UK public who continue to give despite it being an uncertain time for many.

“I think the amount raised demonstrates just how much we all value the dedication and sacrifices made by our NHS workers. I have fought during a war and they are now fighting in a war too.

“I’m honoured to be opening the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber and to get to thank many of the NHS workers directly. I know that having extra beds available for the sick, if needed will be reassuring to those workers, as it would have been to me when I was on the frontline.”

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate

The NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber has been set up at Harrogate Convention Centre in less than three weeks. Staff from the centre worked alongside the Army, NHS and private businesses to complete the transformation, and tributes have been paid to their work in two videos – one featuring a host of celebrities, the other people with links to the town.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, added: “Inviting Captain Moore to be our guest of honour at the opening of NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber is the least we can do to thank him for his inspiring service and example, and no doubt there will be further ways in which we will be able to express our gratitude.

“Just like the amazing campaign Captain Moore has inspired, the Nightingales are a symbol of how people have come together as part of a nationwide effort to prepare – should they be needed now or in the months to come – for the greatest global health emergency in more than a century.”

The seven Nightingale hospitals around the country offer extra capacity on top of the 33,000 additional beds freed up across NHS hospitals – the equivalent of building 50 district general hospitals – and up to 8,000 beds made available through an unprecedented deal with the independent sector.

Sir Simon said he hoped the temporary hospitals could be used as little as possible, but would be standing by if other services reached capacity.

A schoolgirl from Harrogate who began a fundraising challenge today has already raised more than double her initial target.

Emily Caffrey, aged six, who has cerebral palsy and a brain malformation after being born prematurely, uses a walker and splints to get about.

She has decided to walk ten miles over the next week in support of NHS Charities Together. Her inspiration came from Captain Tom Moore, the Keighley veteran who has so far raised more than £24m by walking the length of his garden every day.

Mum Hannah said: “She watched him on the news. My husband is ex-military – he’s been out less than a year – and she said ‘that’s like Daddy’.

“The gentleman uses a walker, although it’s slightly different to hers, so she asked if she could raise money by walking too.”

Emily’s parents set a modest target of £500 in her online fundraiser to ensure it was achievable for her. Within 24 hours, however, having completed just one day of walking, her fundraising page had already surpassed £1,000.

“I think we’re going to have to raise the target,” said Hannah. “We were umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to split it and add another charity, because of how much she’s raised.

“I know the NHS Charities Together are doing quite well, so I think we’re going to consider another local charity, because they’re really struggling.”

Emily is using her walker to complete a mile or more each day

Emily’s daily walks consist of at least a mile on the streets around her house in Harrogate, accompanied by her parents and three-year-old sister, Molly. The daily challenge will run until Emily’s birthday on Saturday, April 25th, with her mum posting updates to her Facebook page.

Missing her friends and teachers at Hookstone Chase Primary School, Emily’s route passes her best friend’s house where she’s often cheered on. As well as fresh air and exercise, the challenge gives her a new focus, after her planned birthday party at Mama Doreen’s in Harrogate had to be cancelled.

“This is the first year she’s realised it’s her birthday and it’s coming up,” said Hannah. “She doesn’t understand why she can’t see her friends – she just doesn’t get it.

“So this is something that’s keeping her occupied. Walking for an hour is a massive thing for her.”

Thirty patients are now confirmed to have died with coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital.

NHS England released the figures today, which reveal two more deaths happened on Thursday, April 18th, bringing the total for that day to three. No deaths have yet been reported for yesterday, Friday, by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Across England, a further 784 deaths have been confirmed, contributing to the 888 across the UK. It brings the UK’s total death county to more than 15,000.

This week, the hospital confirmed it has treated and discharged 51 patients so far. It has also announced that the first patient has been discharged after treatment for coronavirus on a ventilator. Staff are understood to have applauded as the patient left the hospital.

We are really pleased to announce that our first patient who has been on a ventilator as a result of having COVID19 has today been discharged home. #COVID19 #OurNHSPeople

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) April 17, 2020

A film thanking those behind the creation of the new Nightingale hospital has been released by Harrogate Convention Centre.

The building has been transformed in less than three weeks by teams from the Army, the NHS, private businesses and the centre itself.

The official opening is expected to take place next week, though it is yet to be confirmed whether and when the first patients will arrive.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, said: “Thanks go to all my team on site, our contractors, and all who we’ve worked so closely with, including the team at NHS Leeds Teaching Hospital, the Army, and Harrogate Borough Council staff.

“It is no small thing to transform an exhibition and events venue into a fully operational hospital. What’s more, to come into work and work all hours – when the instinct and advice is to stay safe and stay home – is to be commended.”

Reputation for performance

The film emphasises the strong arts, performance and events reputation of Harrogate over the years. Created by Harrogate-based Cause UK, it features famous faces with links to Harrogate expressing their gratitude to those who have helped to build the temporary NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber.

Among them are presenter Harry Gration, adventurer Bear Grylls, and singer Alfie Boe, who promises to return to perform in Harrogate as soon as possible. Actor Kevin Guthrie also sent his best wishes to the people of Harrogate as they do their bit to support those behind the project and preparing to care for patients.

Its release follows a host of celebrities showing their support for the new hospital in a film created by actor Neil Grainger and Harrogate hotelier Simon Cotton earlier this week.

The centre has been lit blue on Thursdays at 8pm as part of the AEV UK initiative, which has seen over 60 theatres, cathedrals and national landmarks #lightitblue coinciding with the public #clapforourcarers. It has also seen emergency services gather to applaud the staff for their work, supported by neighbours from their doorsteps.

Paula added: “The space that’s been utilised is of course our convention centre and its exhibition space, so we want to thank all our customers from the conference, exhibition and events industry who have been so very supportive while their business is stalled.

“Harrogate Convention Centre staff will continue to support the NHS team and conduct their work in the non-clinical areas of the hospital.”

Social care services across the Harrogate district are still facing severe shortages of PPE despite government assurances of improvements.

From nursing homes to carers working in people’s own homes, providers say they are struggling to find basic supplies of aprons, gloves and masks, and are relying on donations from the community.

Harrogate Neighbours Housing Association (HNHA), which runs two care homes and a home care service, is among those to have spoken out about the shortages. CEO Sue Cawthray said they are following government guidance on PPE but also want to do more to limit the risks of infection, especially as they have not yet had any suspected cases.

“We’re using more PPE than normal,” she said. “Where do you draw the line?

“You’ve got somebody who goes into hospital after a fall and then comes back to us. Can we absolutely guarantee they haven’t come into contact with anybody? Of course not, so it’s self-isolation for 14 days with nursing, using separate PPE.

“We’ve got to think about staff. They feel very frightened and very vulnerable.”

Recognition for care workers

Some care providers have called for better recognition of people who have previously been termed ‘low-skilled workers’. Wendy Kneller of St Margaret’s Home Care said:

“The local authorities are doing what they can but I think going forward the Government needs to give some more recognition to care workers.

“They need better pay. I pay them well but the local authorities need to have more money to spend in the care sector. My team have been amazing throughout and not one of them has complained, they have just gotten on with the job.”

That call was echoed by Jill Quinn of Dementia Forward, which works closely with care providers to support people living with dementia.

She said: “Care homes are in a very difficult position, it’s so sad and just awful. It’s not the time to criticise because everybody is doing their best.

“When we get back to normal, maybe this will make people value the work that staff do in care homes more. These people are taking personal risks but they are still passionate and caring. It has always been a complaint of ours that they are underpaid and undervalued so maybe that will change going forward.”

National care home charity MHA has already appealed to MPs to get involved in addressing distribution issues. Last weekend, it said its home in Harrogate, Berwick Grange on Wetherby Road, had had a number of suspected cases and deaths, but testing was unavailable and staff were still desperately short of PPE.

Supplies of PPE have not been reaching social care settings reliably, putting front line workers at risk

Tom Page, of home care provider West Park Care, said: “The biggest disappointment from my perspective has been the local authorities. The council sent us some face masks but a week later they rang and said they needed half of them back because they were struggling with supplies.

“None of our clients have coronavirus symptoms, but if that changes the levels of PPE will become a problem.”

North Yorkshire County Council has spoken in recent days about its struggle to arrange PPE deliveries for the county, and to ensure all front line workers have everything they need.

The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones MP for a response about his role in supporting care homes with supplies, as well as an update on the scheme he launched a month ago to help vulnerable people through the crisis, but he declined to comment.

Sue Cawthray of HNHA added:

“I believe that there’s stock in the UK but it’s distributing it that’s the problem. How can we be in 2020 with this crisis and so many people around and not be able to get what we need? I just don’t understand it.”

There have been no further confirmed deaths of patients with coronavirus symptoms in the Harrogate district, according to the latest information from NHS England.

In its daily update, the organisation said no coronavirus-related deaths were reported by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust yesterday.

Although the statistics are released daily, some fatalities can take several days to be confirmed, especially following weekends. However, not only are there no deaths reported for yesterday, but there have been no additional confirmed deaths for the preceding days.

Prior to today, there had been at least one death confirmed every day since Friday, April 3rd.

Across England, there have been 651 confirmed deaths in figures released today. That compares with 744 yesterday and 677 on Monday.

The number of deaths in the Harrogate district still stands at 25, though these only include people who have been tested and treated in hospital. Any which happened elsewhere, such as care homes, would not be tested so are not counted in official figures.

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in North Yorkshire is 486, but with testing only being carried out in hospitals, it is likely that there are many more unconfirmed cases in the community.

Although the statistics could be showing a leveling-off in numbers, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services this week warned the peak of the crisis was yet to reach the county.

Meanwhile, NHS staff have been arriving at Harrogate Convention Centre ready for the new Nightingale hospital to begin taking its first patients.

The death of a nurse who had been treating coronavirus patients at Harrogate District Hospital has prompted further concern about the level of protection given to staff.

Nurse Zauma Ekoli was known as Josie

Zauma Ekoli, who was 55 and had five children, died on Monday at Leeds General Infirmary after working on wards in Harrogate.

Daughter Naomie said her mother, who had worked on a coronavirus ward, called the provisions of personal protective equipment (PPE) available “poor” but said her mother continued to work in the job that “meant everything to her”.

“If they don’t work, then we won’t be treated, so the least they could do is up the PPE so they can make sure it doesn’t happen to another family,” she said.

Harrogate NHS Foundation Trust said it has sufficient supplies.

A spokesperson said:

“The Coronavirus pandemic has presented the NHS with many challenges, one of which is the significant increase in the use of Personal Protective Equipment.

“We have implemented the national guidance as published by Public Health England. This is very clear about what PPE should be used in which situation to protect our staff. We have enough PPE in stock, and are getting regular deliveries of new items. It is a challenge and we’re doing all we can to maintain provision.”

The Stray Ferret has received a significant number of reports of staff going without vital equipment. Individual members of staff felt unable to speak openly about the problems they faced, but many have expressed their gratitude for the additional equipment being delivered by the community.

Groups in Harrogate have mobilised to source and create PPE, including sewing hundreds of sets of scrubs for staff to wear while on shift.

The spokesperson for Harrogate NHS Foundation Trust added:

“We would like to say thank you to local schools, businesses and organisations who have very generously supported us by producing and providing Personal Protective Equipment, complementing what we are receiving via the NHS supply chain.”

‘Top priority’

Meanwhile, the director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council this week put a call out for support from businesses able to create medical-grade face masks for us across health and social care services.

Richard Webb said although a delivery of PPE was received in the county last week, it was not clear when more would arrive. With government guidance on the use of protective equipment changing frequently, and staff across the NHS and social care services all needing the same supplies, any deliveries would not last long.

Speaking to The Stray Ferret on Monday evening, he said:

“What we really want is a regular supply of this equipment and at the moment that’s not coming through in the way that the NHS and councils and care providers need it.

“The government have given it a really top priority on Friday night when they announced their new plan. We need to see during the coming week much more regular supplies of the right kit.”

Six weeks ago, four Knaresborough women met for the first time to discuss what might happen if there was a coronavirus outbreak in the UK. 

Now, they are coordinating 150 volunteers via the Knaresborough Coronavirus Support group on Facebook and preparing to do even more over the coming weeks. 

Maggie Walker, Natalie Whitwham, Shona Read Lang and Sarah Chisem first met up as the impact on other countries was becoming more clear. Their foresight meant they were well prepared when the restrictions came in and people began looking for help on the Facebook group. 

“We were trying to make sure people had the evidence-based information because we didn’t want to scaremonger,” said Sarah. “There were a lot of things going around and we wanted to keep away from that and have a really clear, concise message that we can help you.” 

Maggie Walker, Sarah Chisem and Shona Read Lang have been part of the team coordinating Knaresborough community support from their homes

The group on Facebook began to grow, as did the team of organisers. Helen Fearne and June Graham joined the original quartet, while Knaresborough Connectors, the town’s Chamber of Trade and the Lions Club all offered practical support. 

Now, with 150 volunteers signed up to help, the group is answering all kinds of needs. It has a virtual map, enabling the core team to match requests for help with those able to assist in the surrounding area. 

As well as practical support such as shopping and collecting prescriptions, some isolated people have simply wanted a friendly conversation over the phone.  

“Last week, we did a big leaflet drop which made people more aware of the help available,” said Sarah. “Initially, we were going on the Facebook page, but a lot of our older community members don’t have access and don’t want to use it.” 

It is not only elderly people who need help: there are vulnerable adults in their 20s and 30s, and even some families who have had to self-isolate from the outset, who have called for assistance. 

New challenges

Over the coming weeks, the organisers are preparing for new challenges to arise. People unable to leave the house may not have cash to pay volunteers for their shopping and some do not use online banking, so plans are in place to ensure they can still get essentials. 

“We haven’t yet had to use all the volunteers,” said Sarah.  

“My thoughts are, going into another three weeks of lockdown at least and coming out of it, we’re going to have people in isolation for at least 12 weeks and they will be getting to the point that they need help soon. Maybe their neighbours can’t help as much as they did to begin with. I think it will be steady, but as word gets around we will get more requests.” 

For the core team of organisers, the demands of ensuring all needs are met can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially as they juggle their own work and family lives. Last week, they took time out for a virtual lunch together to ensure they were taking care of themselves too. 

“What has been great is, as a group, if someone is struggling, someone else has taken the reins that day,” said Sarah. “It was very full-on for the first two weeks, trying to get everything in place.” 

The coronavirus crisis could help “drag the council into the 21st century,” according to the leader of one of its committees. 

Coun Chris Aldred, who chairs the Overview & Scrutiny Commission at Harrogate Borough Council, said he hopes an enforced move to online meetings will lead to more modern ways of working in the long term. 

He put forward a proposal for committee meetings to be available to view online in December, but it was turned down by the General Purposes Committee in January. Now, HBC is looking into setting up online meetings in order to allow its work to continue during the coronavirus crisis. 

Coun Aldred, the Liberal Democrat representative for Fairfax ward, said: “It’s a slightly different scenario to what I was envisaging. If it does drag us into the 21st century, like a lot of things we will find when we return out of this present scenario, things will change in all sorts of ways.  

“Some kinds of meetings where the public don’t have to physically come into the same place is a good thing – giving people more access to the decision-making.” 

Rescheduling meetings

Earlier this month, the government issued new guidance to local authorities encouraging them to set up virtual meetings to enable routine council work to continue. Now, the council is working to find ways for officers and councillors to meet online. 

A spokesman for HBC said: “Following the government go-ahead, we are now looking at what software would be appropriate to allow remote meetings to take place at Harrogate Borough Council.  

“We hope to have this in place in the coming weeks and will begin with rescheduling some of the previous meetings that had to be postponed. Once we have a clear timetable it will be made available on our website and on social media.” 

Coun Chris Aldred

Rejecting the streaming proposal in January, the General Purposes Committee said the cost would be too high to justify with the expected low take-up from the public. It also argued that, with attendance usually very low, putting meetings online would only discourage people from coming to meetings in person. However, Coun Aldred – who chairs the Overview & Scrutiny Commission – rejected that argument.

“I thought it was idiotic, to be honest.The more access we can give people and they see councils in particular, but government in general, that can only be a good thing.

“We’re quite a big district, from Pateley Bridge to Boroughbridge,” he said. “These meetings are traditionally held at not the best time for people who have a job to come and see what’s going on.  

“[With online streaming] people could dip in and out and see the bits they want, such as planning – people are interested in planning decisions. They could see what’s happening and what the arguments are. 

“I really don’t think there’s anything controversial about it. Other councils are already doing it by putting their meetings on YouTube. I can only see it being a good thing.”