Harrogate hospital staff shortages delay schools vaccine programme

The rollout of covid jabs to 12 to 15-year-old pupils in Harrogate schools has been delayed, amid fears they now won’t happen until February.

The government initially said all children in that age group would be offered jabs by half-term, which starts this weekend.

Harrogate’s Ashville College issued a statement today saying vaccinations were due to be supplied and administered by the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust childhood immunisations team on school premises.

The independent day and boarding school added:

“Ashville College can confirm there is unfortunately a delay to the roll-out of the 12 to 15-year-old covid vaccinations.

“The college has notified parents of this and will re-organise vaccinations on-site as soon as supplies allow. In the meantime, we have advised parents of pupils aged 12 to 15 to arrange their own vaccination at a drop-in clinic via the NHS website page, ‘Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination’.”

The college, which was unable to give an estimated start date, blamed the situation on vaccine shortages.

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But a spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said this was incorrect. They added:

“Whilst our covid vaccination programme for children aged between 12 and 15 is operating across North Yorkshire and areas in the North East, current staffing capacity has impacted on how soon we can visit some schools.

“We are continuing to develop our timetables and have given all schools a provisional date as to when we will be visiting and will notify them at least one week before our planned visit. Consent packs will be sent to families one week prior to the session. If the opportunity arises, we will look at bringing forward these dates so that we can undertake vaccinations sooner.

“We welcome the recent announcement that parents will now be able to check the NHS National Booking System to see if they can book a covid vaccination for their child at a convenient location, such as a vaccination centre.

“The booking service provides an additional choice alongside the school immunisation programme so that children can be vaccinated as quickly as possible.”

Two parents, who asked not to be named, have contacted the Stray Ferret today saying they have been told by their children’s schools that vaccines won’t be given now until February.

One parent said the Harrogate district’s vaccination programme was lagging five months behind other parts of the country.

“Why are we so far behind given that Harrogate is a hotspot for covid cases at the moment? How many young people will unnecessarily develop long covid as a result of these delays?

The district’s covid rate was 727 per 100,000 people yesterday — the highest in the county.

Queues for opening of new Hotel Chocolat store and cafe

Queues formed on James Street this morning for the opening of the new, relocated Hotel Chocolat store.  Around 30 people waited for the store to open at 10am with staff serving hot chocolate to them whilst they waited.

The new store is almost opposite the old one but is larger with a cafe that can seat 30 people at the back of the shop. The chocolate chain has seen rapid growth in recent years and the new store will have up to 15 staff in the run up to Christmas — double the number of the previous store.

The co-founder of Hotel Chocolat, Peter Harris, said there was demand in Harrogate for the store to expand:

” Harrogate is a beautiful location and town. The community here like to support local businesses. We’ve been here since 2009, people have loved it and wanted the full Hotel Chocolat experience of drinks and ices as well as a larger store.

“We’re also delighted that we can provide flat access for wheelchairs and buggies which is an improvement on the previous location, which had a step in it and was very narrow.”

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The new store is a boost for James Street which has seen mixed fortunes in recent years with loss of key brands such as Next and Laura Ashley.

Local businesses have expressed concern that plans to pedestrianise the top of the street as part of the Station Gateway proposal will be damaging for trade.  Harrogate Borough Council has argued that the plans will mean  “short-term disruption for long-term gain”.

James Ogden, a new recruit to Hotel Chocolat, said he was excited to be involved in a store opening:

“I’m super excited to be working in my local area – I love coming into work every day and making people happy with chocolate!”

James Ogden at the cafe bar in the new store.

 

New Harrogate Facebook group to promote community spirit not negativity

Bilton resident Ben Rothery has set up Harrogate Community Group to offer a platform for local people to look for recommendations, ask for advice and discuss where they live.

Community Facebook groups are loved and loathed. They can be a good source of local information but can also polarise opinion.

Mr Rothery said he wants his new group to be an inclusive space where can discuss living in Harrogate without fear of being criticised.

In January, he helped set up Bilton Community Group, which has fostered community spirit in the Harrogate suburb.

Mr Rothery said:

“The current Harrogate groups that exist serve a very different purpose to the Harrogate Community Group. Some of the groups allow conspiracy theories and breed a very hostile, bullying culture. Others are plagued by single issues like cycling. None of the groups are bad, they serve a purpose to a number of people that enjoy the content on them.”

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He said businesses will be allowed to advertise on the page on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Mr Rothery added:

“What I see is a gap in the Harrogate online community for a proper community page. Where residents can ask for help, whether that be collecting some shopping or asking someone to collect a poorly cat its medication, but also where businesses can feel comfortable in advertising and promoting their own content to a wide audience.”

Mr Rothery wants the group to be a Harrogate-wide version of what he has created for Bilton.

“What we have done with Bilton Community Group has had huge effects on our area. People have never been as passionate and as active. Anyone who uses it knows it’s a welcoming, helpful and friendly environment for people to come onto and trust they won’t have 20 different people abusing them because they asked for a recommendation.”

£10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway will ‘boost business’

The £10.9 million Station Gateway will boost Harrogate businesses by enhancing the town centre, according to those leading the scheme.

An online consultation event last night gave people the first chance to ask questions about the scheme, which aims to transform the area around the bus and train stations and encourage more people to walk and cycle, since the latest designs were revealed this week.

The current proposals would see traffic on Station Parade reduced to single lane and James Street pedestrianised between Princes Square and Station Parade.

Work could begin next summer and last up to a year, causing major disruption to the town centre and reduced parking, which concerns some businesses still trying to recover from covid.

In response to a question about what assessment had been made about the impact of the scheme on businesses, Matthew Roberts, economy and transport officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said it was a case of “short-term disruption for long-term gain”.

He said case studies from similar schemes had shown they could boost trade by up to 40 per cent by making the town centre more attractive and making it easier to access for non-car users.  Mr Roberts said:

“Behaviours are changing and the town needs to evolve with it.

“The mixture of case study evidence and local evidence has led me to believe this will firmly benefit the town’s economy.”

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In a video message to the event, county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, said the Station Gateway would provide a “great economic boost to the town centre but also boost sustainable travel”.

Chris Harris, who is leading the design team on the project, said changes to James Street would “significantly the feel of the street for people shopping and moving around on foot” and also enable more features such as trees and plants.

He said the scheme would also “make more of a feature” of the Victoria monument by making it more visible.

Mr Harris added the project had a “tight window” but there was “still an opportunity to update things as we move forward”.

What happens next?

A second online consultation event will be held from 6pm to 7pm on Thursday next week.

People can meet members of the project team face-to-face to discuss the plans at the Victoria Shopping Centre on October 27, October 29 and November 5. There is also a business-only event on November 1.

People can also fill in a form online giving feedback.

Details of the consultation, which runs until November 12, are available here.

Councillor Mackenzie will discuss the scheme with Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce on November 8.

Following the consultation, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, happy Friday! It’s Leah with you this morning to help make your journey as smooth as possible.

Keep checking our blog every 30 minutes for full updates on the roads and public transport. I’ll let you know about any delays, traffic hotspots or roadworks.

You can get in touch if you spot anything, and it’s safe, on 01423 276197.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, I will be back with you on Monday. Have a lovely weekend.

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

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8:30am – Full Update 

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The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

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Traffic is building here:

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8am – Full Update 

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The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

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Traffic is building here:

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7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

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Trains

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7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

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6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

Harrogate hospital reveals winter plans

Harrogate District Hospital has the capacity to increase its number of beds by 50 as part of winter escalation plans.

Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer and consultant in emergency medicine at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, revealed the numbers in an interview with the Stray Ferret yesterday.

Talking about the trust’s winter plans, Dr Shepherd said the hospital currently has 260 beds, 20 more than in summer, and has the potential to increase this to 310. Ripon Community Hospital has the capacity to increase beds from 16 to 20.

The hospital covid situation remains considerably better than last winter, when the number of patients in Harrogate with coronavirus peaked at 70, and during the first wave in spring last year, when the figure was about 40.  He said:

“Up to four or five weeks ago we had on average four or five patients with covid, then it crept up to 10 and then a couple of weeks ago it went up to 20. It’s trickled down in the last few days to 15.”

The Harrogate district currently has one of the highest covid rates in the country, with the seven-day rate currently 727 per 100,000 people.

But he pointed out that this time last year the hospital had cancelled many other services due to covid and this time staff were heading into winter dealing with coronavirus “on top of other things”.

‘Big impact’ of vaccines 

How worried is he about the months ahead?

“It’s a bit like when covid first arrived. It’s that fear of the unknown. Your imagination runs wild with worst case scenarios, which could be very difficult.

“But the vaccine programme has had a big impact. We are seeing far fewer covid patients in intensive care.”

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The hospital currently has eight beds in intensive care and four are being used. Last winter it had to increase the number from eight to 30 to cope.

After two previous waves of covid, the trust now has well rehearsed ‘flex’ plans to cope with fluctuating coronavirus patient numbers. Dr Shepherd said:

“We currently have half a ward devoted to covid patients. When we get to the mid-20s we convert a full 30-bed ward.”

Waiting list increase

He expects extra patients with other respiratory viruses this year because people are mixing more.

It spells difficult times ahead for staff, particularly as the district’s high infection rate has forced a lot of staff to isolate.

Like other NHS organisations, the trust is also dealing with recruitment problems. Dr Shepherd says shortages are often specific to certain areas, such as theatre staff and nurses.

It doesn’t sound like a good time for any of the trust’s 4,000 staff to put in requests for a fortnight in Lanzarote over Christmas. Dr Shepherd says:

“It’s the relentless nature of the last year and a half. The chances of proper rest haven’t been the same. Staff having to isolate is one of the biggest challenges now.”

The impact of lockdown is still being felt. The trust waiting list was 18,000 pre-covid. Now it’s 22,000. Dr Shepherd says the situation varies from department to department.

“There’s been good progress in some areas, for example scans, where we’ve really caught up and there is no real backlog. Also endoscopy.

“But some of the more complex operations take much longer to do and patients are still waiting much longer than they have done in the past in Harrogate and much longer than I would like. We are a small hospital and there are only so many operating theatres.”

Pressure on the emergency department has increased significantly, with most people now seen and either admitted or discharged within six hours rather than four.

Masks and vaccines enough for now

Medical organisations, including the British Medical Association, have said this week it’s time for the government to adopt winter planning now to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed by growing numbers of coronavirus cases.

Dr Shepherd says Harrogate and Ripon hospitals have “never stepped away from asking people to wear masks”.

Does he think it’s time for other measures?

“It’s important that we inform the public that infection rates are higher in the Harrogate district and the best thing they can do is attend vaccination clinics.

“Masks and vaccines are the first next step. If that’s not enough and we continue to see a rise we need to consider a more mandatory position.”

Gas leak: Harrogate told to reduce heating and showers again

Northern Gas Networks (NGN) has once again asked Harrogate residents to reduce their use of central heating and showers following last week’s gas leak.

Engineers are on Ripon Road near the Co-op petrol station after customers reported low gas pressure in the HG1, HG2, HG3 and HG4 postcodes.

It is unclear how long the engineers will be on site working the fix the problem. In the meantime, the gas company has urged people to avoid all “non-essential use”.

NGN did not specify the cause of the low pressure and loss of service but linked it to the major gas leak which started on Friday and continued into the weekend.

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A spokesperson for Northern Gas Networks said:

“If you live or work in the area affected, we are asking once again to please temporarily minimise your use of gas while work is underway.

“By avoiding all non-essential use, people can help ensure there is enough gas in the system to go around everyone.

“That means trying not to use central heating, and avoiding taking showers if you have a combi boiler, until further notice.”

The gas company has asked anyone with boiler issues or those who need help turning gas back on to call its customer care team on 0800 040 7766 and select option three.

However if you smell gas then call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999.

Harrogate College meets local firms to fix skills gap

More than 30 businesses from across the Harrogate district attended the first Employers’ Network at Harrogate College to help shape the future workforce.

The college invited local businesses to the launch event today. Businesses from the likes of health and social care, hospitality and manufacturing all turned up to explain their needs.

Harrogate College will now use the information it has gathered to alter its existing courses and create new courses to fit that demand.

Principal Danny Wild told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s gone really well. The idea of the employer network is to find the key skill gaps that local businesses have.

“We want people leaving the college to have the right skills to get jobs. We also want to help those employers looking to grow.”

“This is the start of the Employers’ Network. It has an infinite timeline as businesses grow and change.”

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Kit Lacey, director at eDub Services, attended and added:

“We are a growing business in a niche market in converting classic cars to electric. One of our biggest struggles we find, as we want to grow, is recruiting.

“When the industry is brand new it is difficult so getting in at the grassroots level with the college is a good first step for us.”

Mike Kaye, managing director at Energy Oasis, also said:

“I have come here because I really want Harrogate College to be at the forefront of renewable technologies.

“I want them to be able to develop a curriculum that will facilitate the young people in Harrogate, to be able to get secure jobs in the green environment.”

Harrogate hospital invests £110,000 in staff and dementia care

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded £110,000 to fund better dementia care support, improved outdoor spaces and wellbeing projects.

NHS Charities Together, the national charity raising funds for hospitals, awarded the sum to the trust.

The trust used some of the money to buy new DVD players and tables for dementia patients at Harrogate District Hospital for entertainment and to help them stay in touch with family, especially when the hospital has to limit visits.

Hospital patients and visitors will also notice that some outdoor spaces have been transformed with physical and mental wellbeing in mind.

The new look includes fresh seating, garden pods, planting, wind chimes and even an outdoor barista. The spaces can be used as an escape for both staff and patients.

Funds have also been used by the hospital on microwaves, coffee and tea making facilities for staff.

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Matron Tammy Gotts said:

“It is important our patients never feel lonely and the tablets will help improve how they can communication with their friends and family.

“It also means that our patients would still be able to communicate with their loved ones should we ever face another lockdown.

“Having access to more entertainment options will also improve the hospital experience for patients. The outdoor spaces also provide the opportunity for patients to spend more time outside the wards in a pleasant environment.”

Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager, said:

“The funding we have been awarded is helping us to further improve the high level of care we are able to provide.

“Whilst it is wonderful that the funding will be of benefit for patients suffering from dementia, we are also pleased that it will have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our NHS colleagues who have worked tirelessly over the pandemic.

“Their wellbeing is vitally important and simple changes, such as developing outside spaces where they can relax for a moment, will ensure they feel well, healthy and happy at work.”

Harrogate army college ‘outstanding’ in new Ofsted report

Harrogate Army Foundation College has been rated outstanding in a new Ofsted report.

The army college’s result was released alongside 13 other centres, all inspected under a new framework.

The college, on Penny Pot Lane, Killinghall is the only basic training establishment for 16-19 year olds in the British Army.

The Ofsted report praised the college for its “very good training .. immaculate facilities”.

It also gave positive feedback on its safeguarding saying the college investigated incidents throughly and made necessary improvements.

In recent years the college had been in the spotlight following bullying and assault complaints by soldiers and their families. In 2018, the Guardian revealed college staff were accused of 50 cases of assaulting or mistreating teenage recruits between 2014 and 2017.

This week’s report said recruits said “there is no bullying at college” and believed staff would deal with any incidents that arise.

Areas for improvement

A common reason for recruits leaving training was down to not understanding the demands of the army. Ofsted said the college needs to give accurate information.

It also pointed out the recruits’ poor diet, adding that the soldiers should be taught the importance of healthy eating.

Persistent weaknesses across the 14 sites in resources, infrastructure, accommodation and improvement planning were found.

Ofsted said the same problems had been identified for the past two decades. The inspecting body has called on the MoD to put measures in place to prevent repeating failures.

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New vision for the college

A new Commanding Officer was employed in July 2020, Lt Col Simon Farebrother MC, with a new vision for the college.

The report added his ethos of “emotional and psychological safety, inclusion and teamwork is firmly embedded” within the college.

He said:

“I’m absolutely delighted, the grade reflects the hard work of my military, civilian and contractor staff at all levels. I’m enormously proud of them, continuing to deliver throughout an extraordinarily challenging period.

“The junior soldiers depart with valuable qualifications, a bunch of new friends and walk into a brilliant career, full of opportunity.”

The inspection was carried out in May 2021.