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    17

    Apr 2021

    Last Updated: 16/04/2021
    Health
    Health

    Harrogate hospital apologises as waiting list nears 16,000 patients

    by Connor Creaghan

    | 17 Apr, 2021
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    NHS records show nearly 20% more people were waiting for treatments at Harrogate District Hospital as coronavirus pushed staff to the brink. Are you one of them? Get in touch with the Stray Ferret with your story.

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    NHS records show that nearly 16,000 people were waiting for treatments at Harrogate District Hospital as coronavirus pushed staff to the brink.

    The data reveal how the waiting list has increased by close to a fifth from 13,505 in March 2020 to 15,805 in February 2021.

    During the month of February, Harrogate District Hospital was treating 67 coronavirus patients, which was a record number.

    Coronavirus has pushed many trusts across the UK closer to breaking point.

    The national waiting list reached a new high of 4.7 million in February with 387,000 people waiting for a year to start treatment.



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    Harrogate District Hospital has said its staff were "working hard" to reschedule appointments and operations.

    It also apologised to patients who have experienced delays.

    A spokesperson for the trust said:

    "The pandemic means that for many of our patients there will be a delay, and waiting times will be longer than we would normally expect.
    "The pandemic continues to affect us and how we deliver our services.
    "We have arrangements in place to risk assess every patient on our waiting lists to ensure we prioritise people on the basis of their clinical need.
    "This can be a worrying time for patients. We know that people will want their procedure as soon as possible, and that waiting may be frustrating.
    "We are sorry for any delay that is experienced, and we are continuing to work hard to provide timely care."


    The trust also paid tribute to the efforts of its staff, who the spokesperson described as being "absolutely fantastic throughout the pandemic".

    Have you been affected by this story? Get in touch with the Stray Ferret by sending an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.