The Stray Ferret has tried to establish what role locally the district’s two MPs have played in the weeks since lockdown began – with little success.   

The House of Commons has been in recess since March 25th and is due to resume tomorrow, so neither has been required to be in Westminster.

A month ago at the start of lockdown the Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP, Andrew Jones, announced he was launching a scheme to match people who were self-isolating with someone who could help them. He sent out 9,000 emails to constituents asking them if they needed support or if they could provide help – saying his team would help match them.  

Andrew Jones MP

Mr Jones has since kept a low profile about this work– with no detail on how his scheme is progressing or how he is supporting his constituency. Last week the Stray Ferret reported on how care homes are crying out for support from their local MPs to help them source PPE. We asked Mr Jones at the time if he wished to make a comment but he declined.  

In the absence of information, The Stray Ferret today contacted a number of the local volunteer networks and business organisations.  They told us Mr Jones has had no involvement in their work which some said had disappointed them. 

It’s a similar picture in Ripon:

Julian Smith MP

Julian Smith, conservative MP for Ripon and Skipton too has remained silent about his work locally. The Stray Ferret has tried to contact him on the telephone and has sent four emails to his office since March 18th, in which  we have sought his views on issues affecting his largely rural community.  Mr Smith has not responded. We have contacted coronavirus volunteer groups in the area and they said he has not been in touch. 

The Stray Ferret has looked into the work of other conservative MPs in Yorkshire by way of a comparison- a number have communicated more often and appear to be more openly involved in the issues their constituents are facing.

The Stray Ferret asked the district’s MPs these questions again earlier today:  

To Mr Jones:

• How has your volunteer scheme progressed?  How many isolated vulnerable people has your team connected with support?  
• What role have you played or support have you offered in the creation of the Nightingale Hospital at the HCC?

To both MPs:

• What role have you played in helping care homes and other medical facilities source PPE?  
• How many constituents have been in touch with you concerned about how they are going to financially survive the crisis and what have you been able to do for them?  
• How can you support local businesses as an economic recession looms?

Neither MP has responded to our questions.

When the Nightingale Hospital opens tomorrow at the HCC, it’s likely Mr Jones will be present to thank those involved. What’s less clear is what work our elected MPs have done to support their constituents in the past month.  

Since the outbreak of coronavirus in the UK, both MPs covering the Harrogate district have kept a low profile on social media and via their websites on work that they are doing in their constituency to help in the coronavirus crisis.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has tweeted or shared other people’s tweets 16 times in the last month and posted 4 times on his website. His four website posts:

• encouraged people to work together through the crisis on March 17th.
• announced he was setting up a ‘volunteer army’ to bring people together and support vulnerable people on March 18th.  No further details on how this progressed.
• gave a View from Westminster, reflecting on the crisis but with no details of what he has been doing
• welcomed news that Captain Tom Moore will be guest of honour at the opening of the Nightingale hospital

In addition, media reports show he:

• asked a question of Home Secretary Priti Patel about the government’s response to county lines drugs gangs on March 23rd
• released a statement about liaising with the foreign office in support of local people who were stranded abroad as the coronavirus crisis began
• signed a letter in late March by Julian Sturdy, MP for York Outer, calling for the rejection of an appeal by a developer wanting to build 516 houses at Askham Bog, south-west of York

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, has posted once on Facebook in the last month and has not added any news to his website since January. However, he has a page with links to government advice and support on coronavirus, and has tweeted just over 100 times since March 20th.

In addition, he is quoted in media reports about encouraging people to stay at home over the Easter weekend.

Neither MP responded to a request for details of their activities.

The Stray Ferret looked at other conservative MPs in the surrounding area for comparison:

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Malton

• has posted on Facebook 35 times, Twitter more than 200 times, and 24 articles on his website since the crisis began
• runs constituency video support conferences for any business owner to join and ask questions
• has shared details on his website of what he’s doing to support care homes, businesses and the wider community

Above is one of his online business surgeries, posted to his Facebook page.

Andrew Percy, MP for Brigg and Goole

• Has posted 19 times on Facebook- including updates on planning issues affected by coronavirus and posted links to useful info on government website.
• Written 9 blog posts/news articles for this website.

Mr Percy says he has been working with councillors to organise a support network and on April 14th formed the Brigg&Goole and Isle of Axholme Constituency Support Group

“I just wanted to assure residents that my team and I remain fully on hand to support residents at this time and we are receiving hundreds of emails, calls and facebook direct messages everyday. Whether it is constituents trapped overseas, questions about the lockdown guidelines or helping people struggling with employment, shopping or business concerns my team and I are doing what we can to help and will do throughout. I am also in close contact with the local hospitals and have been assisting them on a range of issues too. It you need our help we are available via Facebook, email or the office phones on 01405 767969 or 01652 650094.”

Andrea Jenkyns, MP for Morley and Outwood

• posted more than 30 times on Facebook and more than 100 times on Twitter
• a section on her website dedicated to getting a pool of volunteers together and another signposting to advice and support

Harrogate Scrubbers gained 200 Facebook followers and raised more than £4,500 in its first 24 hours of existence. The group was formed in response a the nation wide shortage of scrubs and has committed to make 700 scrubs for staff working in the Harrogate area to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The project is being organised by Fran Taylor (above) , a teacher at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate, in conjunction with the Foundation Trust that runs Harrogate District Hospital. Fran is coordinating fabric orders, pattern printing and delivery of the finished items from home.

“‘The community response has been genuinely humbling, with offers of help from people stuck at home, community groups, local companies and professional sewing groups. It has created a team atmosphere and real community spirit, actually giving people a purpose and the ability to feel that they are supporting the NHS both through staying at home, but also doing something productive while they are there”

Some of the scrubs sewn by volunteers ready to be delivered to the hospital

Yesterday Harrogate District Hospital made an appeal for community help in sourcing gowns after a national shortage- saying it needed to plan ahead to ensure supply and particularly needed long sleeve, water proof gowns. 

A fundraiser was set up online  with support coming from individuals as well as organisations including guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate, and estate agents, Verity Frearson.

Earlier this week, Fran found herself borrowing the keys to her church in order to have the floor space to roll out, measure and cut the fabric. Once cut, it was parcelled up with patterns – printed by Enid Taylor on Cold Bath Road – and sent out to the volunteers.

“There’s really fantastic community support,” she said. “Any enthusiastic beginner can come and help us. We’re always looking for people to come and sew and support us with organising and getting supplies to our drop-off point.”

As well as blue scrubs, spare fabric is being used to create laundry bags

Local businesses are involved too in supplying fabric.  Harrogate interior design firm Furnish & Fettle are providing over 800m of fabric and getting the team to join in with sewing and deliveries.

Owner Eleanor Goddard said, ‘We are delighted to be able to do something to support the NHS and utilise the supplies we have in stock. This is a brilliant way for us to give something back and thank all those on the frontline.’

White Rose Sewing in Harrogate are also supporting the scheme and have offered to help with supplying some of the materials as has M&M Fabrics in Leeds’s Kirkgate market.

The volunteers will make scrubs, laundry bags, scrub caps and waterproof gowns.

“There’s lots of people who are at home more than they would like to be and maybe who have got extra time on their hands because of being furloughed and that’s a real worry for them,” Fran said. “Being able to keep busy is good for their mental health and it also helps people to feel connected.”

Can you help?

The good news is you can help even if you can’t sew..Roles and items The Harrogate Scrubbers need:

• People who can sew both scrubs and bags to put them in
• People able to deliver and collect the fabric and scrubs
• Donations of money to help buy the fabric and accessories
• Donations of plain lightweight polycotton fabric or new sheets
• Volunteers to cut the fabric into packs and prepare them
• Printers to print the patterns to go in the packs

To donate, visit: https://tinyurl.com/harrogatescrubbers Join the Facebook group  www.facebook.com/groups/harrogatescrubbers    Alternatively, contact Fran Taylor directly harrogatescrubbers@gmail.com

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.