When the decision was taken a year ago to close the Briary Wing and move inpatient mental health services to York, it marked the end of a long and intensely political debate about the future of adult mental health inpatient facilities in the Harrogate district.  

Plans had been well advanced for a 36-bed facility at Harrogate’s Cardale Park. Planning permission had been approved and work had begun when – a year ago – Harrogate and Rural District CCG and the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust (which runs mental health services) voted to halt the project and focus on sending patients to a new facility in York.   

The site at Cardale Park where the mental health inpatient unit was set to be built

Harrogate and Rural District CCG defended its decision at the time, arguing the move to York was to produce “the best possible care” and it wanted to invest more in community care to prevent people needing inpatient facilities – but the reality was the CCG had a £14m deficit and had to prioritise funds.  

To many politicians of all persuasions, it was another example of the long term chronic under-funding of mental health services. Conservative councillor Jim Clarke, the Head of North Yorkshire County Council’s Scrutiny of Health Committee, said at the time:  

“This is not a recent problem, this is the result of years, decades of underinvestment in mental health.”  

The Liberal Democrats, too, expressed concern that patients and their families would have to travel to York – county councillor Geoff Weber said Harrogate had been “screwed by the CCG and NHS”. 

This week, however, the CCG has reiterated its statement that the decision was not based on finance.

A spokesman said:

“The decision was made based on best practice in providing high quality mental health inpatient services and expanding the services locally available in the community. The decision to invest in community services and redeploy inpatient services to York was taken after extensive engagement.

“The solution adopted was the only option that maximised patient safety and experience, while remaining true to its commitment to providing care as close to home as possible.”

Decision came against a backdrop of health service debt and restructuring  

Since 2008 mental health services (both inpatient and community based services) in the Harrogate district have been operated by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist mental health Trust. Clinical Commissioning Groups effectively “buy” services such as inpatient mental health beds from the Trust. 

The decision to close the Briary Wing and reject the Cardale Park option came at a time of change for the Harrogate District CCG.  In November last year NHS England agreed to merge Harrogate with two other CCGs: Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby, and Scarborough and Ryedale.   

The North Yorkshire CCG was formed on April 1st 2020 – in the height of the current coronavirus crisis – with a requirement to cut 20% from its admin budget.  

This new North Yorkshire CCG will now be responsible for “buying” mental health services from TEWV for the Harrogate district. The CCG though has a projected deficit of £18m for this coming year and has proposed a £72m savings programme over the next 5 years.

The Stray Ferret put a series of question to the CCG and got the following responses: 

Will the 72 beds in York be enough? If it is full, where will inpatients from our district be sent? 

“Through the modelling undertaken we are confident that there will be enough beds at the new unit, especially given the expectation that there will be a reduction in admissions and length of stay. However, as now, it is sometimes more clinically appropriate for patients to be placed elsewhere.”

Will the newly merged CCG make its administrative and managerial cost savings, including the proposed £72m? 

“The CCG is now operating under a partnership arrangement with TEWV for mental health and learning difficulties which also includes NYCC.  The partnership is committed to delivering the mental health investment standard which ensures that investment into mental health is protected but there is acknowledgement that services need to transform and innovate to deliver improvements and meet an increasing demand for services.

“The 20% reduction in running costs applies to all CCGs and this has been achieved through the recent merger to form the North Yorkshire CCG.”

What impact will the current pandemic have on all health services and what will be prioritised as a result?

“Under the North Yorkshire Mental Health and Learning Disability Partnership, we are working jointly with TEWV to agree how the funding available is used.”

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Fiona Movley, Chairman of the Harrogate International Festivals 

With the most difficult challenges come some of the greatest opportunities.

As a charitable arts organisation with little public funding (less than 1% of turnover), the current situation calls for robust business thinking and some tough decision making.

Historically we have kept our team small, enabling us to be agile and react to change.  The team’s quick thinking has led to some imaginative changes including ‘remote Festival experiences’ via our website.  But it has meant that we have furloughed half of our staff; the remaining team working from home as they not only deliver remotely, but plan for the future and dismantle the summer programmes.

We were well ahead with reaction to Covid19. We made the difficult decision to hold back the launch of our Summer Season as major arts events were only just beginning to close down around the world. We knew early on that it was the only decision to take to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our audience and team.

Economic times are very tough but after much deliberation we decided against launching a public appeal for funds.  We will lose £850k of our income this year through cancelled events, sponsorship and fundraising as much of our income is generated from March to July. However, it is not the right time when we all have so many personal worries about health and jobs.  The time will come when your help and support will be vital to us as we move forward.

Today I appeal to you in a different way.  The support of the arts in Harrogate is vital to the future of the town.  We may have lost many events, with a knock-on effect for everyone, not least of all our local economy.  When we come back after this dreadful time, we will need your help to bring back to life the rich vibrancy that is Harrogate International Festivals.

Lives are changed for the better through arts organisations. We need the arts to help us rebuild and enrich our lives once more. Some of our work may in the future be delivered in a different way, we are all learning a great deal during this exceptional time, but when we come back in our full glory, we will need your help to spread the word to bring our audience back again.

Let’s cherish our arts organisations, nurture them, and protect them.

Find out more via HIF Player and HIF at Home, it is all free to access – www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Workers at Stainburn Forest uncovered unexploded shells yesterday and called North Yorkshire Police for help.

Officers attended at around 4pm and located four mortar shells before calling in the Army’s EOD team.

The bomb squad inspected the shells and determined that they were inert, and then removed them.

A spokesperson for the police said:

“Police were called at 3.45pm on 23 April 2020 by the Forestry Commission, to report that suspected unexploded shells had been uncovered during work in the forest at Stainburn Moor, near Harrogate. Officers attended, located four mortar shells, and liaised with the Army’s EOD team. They determined that the shells were inert, and removed them.”

The Stray Ferret approached the Forestry Commission for a comment, but did not receive a reply by the time of writing.

Phoebe, 10 and Hermonie, 7, live across the road from the new Nightingale hospital in Harrogate. After watching all the work over the last three weeks and joining in on the weekly clap for our carers, they decided they wanted to do something in return.

The Smith sisters came up with the idea of designing t-shirts to help raise money for charity. They have called their venture KidSmith and all money raised will go to HELP Harrogate.

“Our designs are to celebrate how the community has come together to help those in need and we hope they will be a reminder of some of the good things that happened during this really hard time. We chose HELP Harrogate to try and help them continue to support older and vulnerable members of the local community during the Covid 19 crisis.”

Mum, Phillipa Smith told the Stray Ferret that she is very proud of the girls willingness and desire to try and help:

“It’s so lovely to see how excited they are when orders come in for something they have designed themselves. We’re all really pleased to support HELP Harrogate, they are a fantastic local charity on the ground every day helping our community at this awful time.”

Harrogate District Hospital has reported that two more of its patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died.

Both patients died on Thursday and it brings the hospital’s total up to 38. Their families have been informed.

It comes as a further 761 people with coronavirus died across the UK.

England recorded 587 deaths, Wales reported 110 deaths, and 64 patients died in Scotland. Northern Ireland has not yet released its figures.

The figures released only include those who have been tested and treated in hospital. Deaths elsewhere, such as in care homes, are not included.

Of the 587 patients who died in England’s hospitals, the patients were aged between 40 and 102 years old.

34 of the 587 patients, who were aged between 50 and 102 years old, had no known underlying health conditions.

A total of 58 patients have now been discharged home after being treated for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital.

Steve Russell, Chief Executive at Harrogate Hospital told the Stray Ferret that the Clap for our Carers has become a really important way to celebrate everyone’s contribution.

For the fifth consecutive week NHS staff, firefighters and local residents joined in on the applause from outside the front of Harrogate district hospital.

Armed forces brought senior NHS to Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital after landing a Chinook helicopter on the Stray this afternoon.

It landed at around 1pm between Wetherby Road and Knaresborough Road, drawing onlookers as the occupants disembarked.

The Stray Ferret understands the helicopter was used to transport senior NHS staff to the temporary Nightingale hospital, which was officially opened on Tuesday via video link. At present, it is not being used to treat patients, but will remain available until needed.

Eyewitnesses reported that the visitors were taken by van towards Harrogate Convention Centre, before returning two hours later. After a number of people gathered to watch proceedings, officers from North Yorkshire Police arrived to ask them to move back and disperse.

The chinook helicopter left the Stray at around 3.30pm. The NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber had not responded to our request for more information about the visit at the time of publication.

Two more patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died at Harrogate District Hospital.

The latest two deaths from Monday and Tuesday takes the hospital’s coronavirus deaths total up to 36 so far.

103 coronavirus patients were today confirmed to have died in the North East and Yorkshire region.

Hospitals in England reported that a further 665 patients have died, taking the country’s total up 16,272.

Patients were aged between 26 and 102 years old. 26 of the 665 patients, who were aged between 48 and 95 years old had no known underlying health conditions.

Their families have been informed.

Scotland reported 77 deaths, Wales recorded 15 but Northern Ireland has not yet released its numbers.

These figures do not account for deaths outside the hospital of people who were not tested but died of suspected coronavirus.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust will release figures for the number of people who have been treated and discharged on a weekly basis. As of last Thursday, 51 people who had been admitted to the hospital have gone home.

Signs have been put up in the Valley Gardens telling people not to sit on benches in order to protect themselves from coronavirus.

They have been placed on benches in the gardens by Harrogate Borough Council, asking people not to rest while taking their daily exercise.

Richard Meyrick, who spotted the first signs going up yesterday, said he was concerned about the impact on elderly people living nearby.

“I am in my 70s and have certain medical conditions which prevent me walking too far without a short sit down before I can carry on,” he said.

“There are many other people in my situation and we love our exercise in the gardens. The council’s action will have the effect of stopping older people taking exercise if there is nowhere to sit.

“All the benches are in the open air and you can sit at least two metres from anyone on the next bench, so I do not see the problem.”

The new signs have been placed on every bench in the Valley Gardens

The sign says:

“You are much safer resting at home after exercising. To protect yourself and others from the coronavirus please don’t sit down and rest on the benches or in the park. Help keep everyone safe.”

Mr Meyrick said he walks daily in the Valley Gardens and has never seen anyone failing to follow the social distancing guidelines. Most of those using benches are older, while younger couples and dog walkers tend not to stop, he said.

“I’m not sure if it’s somebody being heavy-handed and not thinking it through,” he said. “I spoke to a few older people who also had to sit down. When you get older, you do have to sit more often. I can’t see what the problem is.”

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“We chose to put up signs rather than – as has happened in other places – tape up the benches and physically prevent people from using them. We recognise there may be a legitimate reason why someone might need sit down for a few minutes, but we have a duty to discourage people from gathering or using our parks and open spaces for anything other than exercise as per the government’s clear instructions.”

However, Mr Meyrick said people were likely to feel self-conscious sitting on a bench with a sign on it, even if there was a legitimate reason. He added:

“The notice says don’t sit on this bench or any other place in the park. If you sit on one of those, it’s going to be like if you weren’t socially distancing. People are going to feel guilty.”

Former Ripon Grammar School student Ella Borchard (pictured above) has volunteered to join the NHS front line at Harrogate Hospital in its battle so save the lives of people stricken by coronavirus.

The 21-year-old, who is a nursing student at Sheffield Hallam University, is well-equipped to care for COVID-19 patients as she has received extensive training in the oxygen therapy, mental wellbeing and use of PPE.

Academics at the university have provided online lectures and training sessions about end of life care and COVID-19 policies and procedures, including simulations with mannequins.

Ella, who will be working under supervision from the nursing staff on the Wensleydale Ward at Harrogate Hospital, took up her place at Sheffield Hallam after studying biology, chemistry and Spanish at Ripon Grammar.

Looking forward to using her caring skills in a real-life situation, she said:

“Every day will bring so many issues to overcome, but it will give me lots of experience of nursing in an unusual situation, while having a defined support network. I do feel very excited to be a part of history.”

At university, the nursing students prepared for situations they might find themselves in and discussed how to look after themselves.

Ella pointed out:

“The training gives us some of the skills and information we need to tackle something like this, but I have spent nearly three years preparing for my future career as a nurse and working during the pandemic is only part of what I have trained to do. Further down the line I would like to take my master’s degree in advances nursing so that I can manage patients’ complete clinical care, from diagnosis to care planning and discharge.”

An enthusiastic supporter of Ripon Youth Theatre Ella, like her mother Jo, is a member of Ripon Amateur Operatic Society, taking part in many performances.

Ella in costume for a Ripon Amateur Operatic Society performance

Mrs Borchard, a primary school teacher and herself a former student of Ripon Grammar School, told the Stray Ferret:

“I am so proud of Ella, she is wonderful, caring daughter, with lots of energy, drive, focus and attention to detail.

“Whatever she does, she strives to do it to the best of her ability – whether dancing in an operatic society show, or putting her professional skills into practice at the height of this world pandemic  crisis.”