A memorial service is to be held in Starbeck for a pianist who often played for free in local schools and care homes.

Stuart Forster was a talented keyboard player who was also an organist at St Andrew’s Church. He died at his home in Starbeck on May 1, aged 76.

Born in York, he had a varied career in a wide range of professions.

Mr Forster was a talented keyboard player

Elena Leeming, a friend of Mr Forster, said:

“While it is sad news for the community here in Starbeck, there is a memorial service for those who knew him at St Andrew’s Church on May 18 at 11am.

“Stuart brought joy to the whole community by playing at the local school, church and care homes. He will be greatly missed.”

Ms Leeming added Mr Forster’s sister and son planned to travel for the service and everyone was welcome.

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Harrogate’s high care costs are being compounded by the cost of living crisis as bosses warn that they have no choice but to pass on some of the “colossal” price rises to residents.

With care homes being hit by huge increases in energy and food prices, the average weekly cost of a residential care home in the district is now £1,029.

That figure remains the highest in North Yorkshire and is equivalent to almost £54,000 a year.

The climbing costs come at a time of significant workforce pressures as care homes continue to rely upon agency staff and constantly recruit to try to fill vacancies.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of care charity Harrogate Neighbours, described the price rises as “colossal” and said further increases in insurance costs and workers’ wages were adding to the pressures of keeping care services running.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours

She added that the only way for care homes to be able to keep their costs down was for the government to provide more funding and support for services.

Ms Cawthray said:

“There is a serious shortage of funding in health and social care.

“This has been going on year after year and the situation is only getting worse as more people get older and need to go into care.”

After years of funding cuts and promises to fix the broken care system, the government earlier this year announced a new £86,000 cap on the amount anyone will have to spend on care over their lifetime.

This was due to be funded by a 1.25% rise in National Insurance, however, the tax rise was reversed by prime minister Liz Truss and funding will now come from general taxation.

The price cap and other measures are to be tested out as part of a “trailblazer” scheme which has seen North Yorkshire County Council chosen as one of six local authorities to introduce the reforms several months ahead of elsewhere.

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There are, however, questions over when this will begin next year and if it will entail a huge bill for the county council.

Aside from the trial, Cllr Michael Harrison, executive member for health and adult services at the authority, said it was doing “everything possible” to support the care sector, although he added these efforts were being made “within the constraints of the funding allocated by central government”.

He said:

“We continue to make the case to the government for comprehensive reform and funding of social care.

“The council is implementing a three-year deal to address the actual cost of care provided by care homes, ahead of many other local authorities.

“We are now working with the sector on a similar long-term plan for home care.”

Meanwhile, the county council has further plans to build an extra care facility after purchasing a £1.8 million plot of land at Harrogate’s Cardale Park, and there are also proposals to introduce “micro-providers” in more rural areas.

Cllr Harrison added: 

“In the Harrogate area, we are pursuing several projects to try to improve market conditions, including identifying potential new opportunities to provide care directly.

“We are also hoping to see the introduction of micro-providers in rural areas and are working with care providers to pilot new workforce models, attracting people to the sector with the prospect of the rewarding careers which can result from caring for others.”

The chief executive of a Harrogate care charity has warned the energy crisis could force some care homes to close without urgent government action.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said spiralling bills were already being felt by care providers, with the charity’s own gas costs more than doubling over the last 12 months to over £90,000.

She added the looming winter and further price rises was a “huge concern” for the care sector, which looks after the most vulnerable in society. Ms Cawthray said:

“Those working in social care are responsible for people’s lives and we have got to make sure that not only are our residents warm, but also that food costs are addressed.

“I have a colleague who is a small care provider and very concerned about how he is actually going to pay the wages, nevermind keep people warm.”

New prime minister Liz Truss has pledged to “act immediately” on the energy crisis – with a price freeze funded by government-backed loans to energy companies widely expected.

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But with the full details of the plans yet to be announced, Ms Cawthray said the charity was already looking at different ways to reduce its energy costs, including the use of heating monitors in residential rooms and solar panels.

She added that any government plans must include care homes and charities like Harrogate Neighbours, which provides residential care and a hot meal delivery service. She said:

“The government needs to be helping out everybody – it worries me just how people are going to cope.

“We use a huge amount of energy, not just in our residential areas but also in our kitchens and for our meals on wheels service so we have really got to think about our costs.

“This is a huge concern for us as we are a not-for-profit organisation

“At The Cuttings, our residents are responsible for their own bills so we have got to ensure they are not going to be turning down their heating to save money.

“We are going to have to be creative and innovative, as we always are.”

When Graeme Lee was in his mid-20s, he organised a holiday for 24 people in two chalets in France. Tragically, two of them died on the trip.

Devastated, he took a year off from his job as a senior manager at Marks & Spencer. His sabbatical drifted into a second year until it ended abruptly when his mother fell ill and he rushed home to be with her. Within four weeks she was dead.

Thirty years on, Mr Lee is one of Harrogate’s most successful businessmen. His company Springfield Healthcare has six care homes, a £30m turnover and 1,500 staff, including domiciliary care. It wasn’t university or education that forged him, but those early losses.

He says:

“They were two of the most traumatic things that have ever happened to me.

“I can’t tell you how responsible I felt for what happened on the holiday. One of the girls wasn’t going to go and I lent her the money.

“Those two years away transformed me. I learned a lot about the meaning of life.”

It has been some journey. Mr Lee grew up in a small care home his mum and dad owned in Garforth, West Yorkshire, regularly moving bedrooms to accommodate residents and watching TV with them at night.

He then struck out on his own at M&S until his mother’s death proved a turning point. He says:

“Shortly before she died, Mum asked if I would look after Dad and the business and my two sisters. I’ve tried to do that ever since.”

Care homes are light years away from what they were when Mr Lee was young. He says:

“Care homes in the 1970s had bad reputations. Your grandma would say ‘don’t ever put me into a care home’. That’s driven me over the years. I want to change how older people perceive care homes.”

Harcourt Gardens in Harrogate

Today Springfield Healthcare, which has six homes providing 500 beds, is at the forefront of luxury care. Think cinema days, rooftop terraces and gin bars.

Harcourt Gardens, which opened close to Harrogate town centre in December, is registered for 115 residents. Its facilities include a cinema room, gym, hairdressing salon and spa, and landscaped gardens. He adds:

“The most important thing for me is that it’s in the heart of the community. Older people want to live in their community.”

Naturally it isn’t cheap — prices in Harrogate start at £1,250 a week. Mr Lee says his company creates an option for people able to afford the choice and provides value for money.

Harcourt Gardens, which employs 50 staff, took more than seven years to go from vision to completion. Covid and a flooded basement added to the delays.

How does he top that? Another site in Harrogate could raise the bar even higher.

‘Holy grail of care’

Outside Grove House

Three years ago, Mr Lee bought Grove House, a grade two listed building off Skipton Road that was once the home of Victorian inventor, philanthropist and mayor Samson Fox.

Grove House belonged at the time to the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, a fraternal movement. A flag showing the initials GLE hung outside, indicating it was the organisation’s grand lodge of England.

So when Mr Lee, whose car number plate bears the initials GLE after his name, turned up to check out the site, there was a sense of fate. That there is a plaque about Samson Fox near his Harrogate home added to this.

He bought the site for £3 million and now plans to transform it into “the holy grail of care”.

He wants to convert Grove House to accommodate 23 independent living apartments and build a 70-bed care home and eight houses providing supported living for over-65s on land alongside it.

Schoolchildren from nearby Grove Road Community Primary School will be invited to participate in activities alongside residents and use the gardens for study and play. The site will also host an annual garden party for the community.

The vision for Grove House.

He says:

“I want to bring Grove House back to life and make it part of the community.

“All of my 28 years in care have led me to this. We are giving back to the community and school. It’s not just about making money; it’s about doing the right things.”

‘Strong regional provider’

Mr Lee, who will be an energetic 57 next month, is eyeing other projects.

He’s bought the former Summer Cross pub in Otley and hopes to get planning permission to convert it into a care home. He’s also looking at a site in Wetherby. But his empire is unlikely to swell much more.

“I don’t want to be the biggest, I want to be the best. I want to be a good, strong regional provider.”

Times, however, are tough. Brexit, he says, has “not had a significant impact” besides the fact that he now employs fewer European staff, but he describes the impact of the cost of living crisis and rising energy bills as “massive”.

“I’ve never known it as challenging in my 28 years. We have increased pay rates by 11% for domcare and fuel allowance by 33% and it hasn’t even touched the sides.”

By contrast, he says some local authorities have only increased the rates they pay private providers by 3%, which he describes as “absolutely unacceptable”.

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The company is also focusing on staff wellbeing and provides a hardship fund for those in need.

The rise in agency staff is another big change in the care sector, which he attributes largely to evolving work patterns.

“Ten years ago, I didn’t have any agency staff. Now people want to work for four to six weeks and then have a month off.”

Care homes are a major part of the Harrogate district economy but most people, says Mr Lee, make the mistake of not thinking about them until there’s a family crisis. Then they are suddenly forced to make rushed decisions. He says:

“There are so many good care homes on your doorstep here in Harrogate. Go and start looking.”

Mr Lee has two grow-up children from his previous relationship. Son Hugo runs a recruitment company and daughter Rafaela is at university. He now lives with partner Heidi and her three boys.

Away from work, he “plays golf, badly” off a 13 handicap, and is a member of Alwoodley golf club in Leeds. He also enjoys mini-breaks.

He’s come a long way but the 1990s are never far from his mind.

He is close friends with the parents of one of the girls who died and he’s still driven by the promise he made to his mum to look after the business and to keep raising the bar on care homes.

“I’m totally committed to providing the holy grail of care. I want it to feel like a hotel when people walk in.”

Schools, care homes and public services across the Harrogate district are putting in place measures to protect vulnerable people from the extreme temperatures expected today and tomorrow.

With the Met Office forecasting highs of 38C and red warnings in place, there is a risk to health, especially for the elderly, very young and people with existing medical conditions.

Ice creams for hospital patients

Measures are being put in place to help patients and staff keep cool at Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital.

On the wards and in outpatient areas, temperatures will be monitored and air conditioning units are available if needed. High risk patients will be watched closely and ice creams and lollies will be available to help people cool down.

A spokesperson for Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust said staff have been given advice on ways to keep cool while working during the heatwave, including wearing light-weight scrubs.

Some appointments where physical exertion is needed, such as physio appointments, may be postponed until the weather is cooler.

The spokesperson said:

“Our emergency department is always busy and under pressure during severe weather due to an increased number of people visiting our hospital – some with heat related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

“Waiting times to be seen during these times can be longer than usual due to demand.”

Anyone considering going to the emergency department is asked to call NHS 111 first or visit the 111 service online, unless it is a severe or life-threatening situation.

The service can offer advice and even book people in to be seen quickly on arrival if a hospital visit is needed.

Anyone arriving without an appointment will still be seen, with the most urgent cases being dealt with first.

Council bin collections to start earlier

Harrogate Borough Council has made some adjustments to its services in order to keep staff safe.

A spokesperson said:

“Waste and recycling collection rounds will be starting earlier in the morning to enable rounds to be completed earlier and limit work time in the hottest part of the day.

“In relation to our Brimhams Active health and wellbeing services, all staff cover heat exhaustion as part of their staff training, they will be reminded of what to look for and how to treat any incidences.

“At our community wellbeing hubs we have plans in place to increase breaks and water at all sessions.

“We are using the government guidance for vulnerable adults and will err on the side of caution and cancel when/if appropriate.”

Risk assessments have been completed for extreme heat and adjustments made, including for staff working outdoors. The spokesperson said there may be some changes to services if required to protect staff and vulnerable residents.

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Extra checks on vulnerable residents

As the public health authority for the Harrogate district, North Yorkshire County Council has issued advice about keeping homes cool, including:

• closing curtains and windows in rooms facing the sun
• turning off unneeded electrical appliances
• finding shade outside, which may be cooler than indoors
• not leaving anyone, including children, the elderly and animals, inside a closed, parked vehicle
• storing medication according to packet instructions
• ensuring fridges, freezers and fans are working properly

The council’s director of public health, Louise Wallace, said:

“Those in our communities who may be more vulnerable will be receiving increased checks on them throughout hot spells.

“However, we would appeal to those who are able to take the time to check whether friends, relatives and neighbours need help and to call for assistance if necessary.

“Public buildings operated by the county council will also be kept as cool as possible while temperatures remain high, but we would advise people to avoid making unnecessary journeys while the weather remains hot.

Care homes focus on hydration

Jill Young, operations director at Vida Healthcare, said its homes have plans in place ready to be activated in the event of a heatwave and some measures began to be introduced last week.

She said hydration was a particular focus, as well as adapted menus with cold foods to reduce use of ovens in the kitchen, adding:

“During hot weather, we also introduce extra fluid measures. Our chefs make jelly sweets that contain 20ml of water per sweet – our residents love them and it can be a straightforward way of giving them a little extra fluid.

“Our freezers are kept stocked with ice creams and ice lollies for both staff and residents which are available at all times, and our residents also have access to jugs of juice and water in their rooms and the communal areas.

“We’re very lucky that all three of our homes have access to secure outdoor spaces with shaded areas that our residents can enjoy.

“If a resident is keen to go outside, our staff will make sure they’re wearing a hat and suncream, and will encourage them to sit in the shade to keep safe from the sun.”

At Emmaus House, opposite Harrogate’s Valley Gardens, manager Chrissie Steel said extra jugs of cold squash will be placed around the home.

“For people with dementia, they may not be able to recognise they are thirsty, or to tell us they need a drink, but they can often point to a jug if they see one.

“We’re very fortunate to be close to the Valley Gardens to get outside when it’s cool enough – and many of our residents who have spent time in Africa earlier in life absolutely love this heat!”

Schools relax uniform policy

Some schools have relaxed uniform policies for Monday and Tuesday, allowing students to attend in light-weight clothing.

Many have said they will keep children indoors during the hottest part of the day and will be ensuring they drink more water than usual.

NYCC public health director Louise Wallace said:

“Staff in schools are aware of the potential risks created by a heatwave and school children should aim to have sun cream applied before attending school next week, and ensure they have a refillable water bottle with them.”

Warning over power supplies

Northern Powergrid has warned the high temperatures could cause disruption to power supplies.

It has asked people to report power cuts via its website or by calling 105.

Anyone who could need more assistance in a power cut, such as people with medical conditions or disabilities, or families with very young children, can sign up for priority services membership and will be kept updated during any disruption.

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said:

“Our customer support vehicles are also prepped and ready to go out into local communities, where possible.

“We have also taken action to remind our people of the importance of staying hydrated and protected so they can continue to work safely during the hot weather.”

Covid testing sites across North Yorkshire, including on Tower Street in Harrogate and Ripon’s coach park, will be closed next week.

As free testing comes to an end from Friday, April 1, the last day for the testing sites to operate will be Wednesday, March 30, North Yorkshire County Council‘s Outbreak Management Advisory Board heard today.

Cllr Michael Harrison, the county council’s executive member for adult services and health integration, asked whether testing would still be made available for care homes and other key groups, such as schools, but was told an announcement on this had not been made yet. There was also no information about any free testing for care and education settings.

Public health consultant Victoria Turner said:

“I think it’s fair to say that is the one we are going to be looking at most closely. We are expecting care guidance coming out next week as well on this.

“From what was said in February we expect there to be some symptomatic testing remaining for care home staff but that’s about as detailed a picture as we get at the moment. Care homes are going to be the one area we still have a particular focus on from April 1.

“We are still seeing quite a lot of outbreaks in care settings, or rather whenever there’s a high degree of community transmission there’s an inevitability that that does affect care settings as well.

“We were hoping that we could have done some of that planning before April 1 but unfortunately the guidance just isn’t out yet.”

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The outbreak management advisory board, which was set up to recommend on the county’s covid response and communications, has also been stood down. It had been meeting monthly but members agreed there was little need to continue as national restrictions were removed.

However, the group said it will remain in abeyance, rather than being disbanded, so it can be brought back into action if required, such as with the emergence of a new variant.

Infection rate almost trebles this month

At present, cases are still rising, though at a slower rate than previously.

The Harrogate district’s infection rate, which was 343 per 100,000 people at the start of the month, is now at 923.

Hospitalisations are also rising at a slower rate, with 30 patients with covid currently being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Deaths among people who have tested positive for covid within the last 28 days remain steady, at an average of one each day across North Yorkshire.

Richard Webb, corporate director of health and adult services, said:

“Many of us are continuing to work on the impact of acute and long-term covid in many different ways.”

Meanwhile, covid vaccination centres are preparing to begin giving spring booster jabs to over-75s, and vulnerable children aged between five and 11 in the county are now being given their first doses.

Almost 800 Harrogate District Hospital patients were allowed to return to their care homes without being tested for covid, it has been revealed.

Figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service provide the clearest picture yet on how patients were moved between the hospital and care homes – a practice which is believed to have fuelled infections amongst the most vulnerable.

The figures show a total of 788 patients were discharged into care homes without being tested between March 2020 and November 2021.

But the hospital says it has followed national guidance on when to carry out tests and that “patient health and safety is our primary concern”.

It also said the figures will include patients who were tested before arriving at the hospital, although it added “we do not record this information”.

Russell Nightingale, chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: 

“During the covid pandemic, steps were taken to ensure patients could continue to be looked after in a safe environment – this was especially important for vulnerable and elderly people.

“A policy was introduced on April 15, 2020, requiring inpatients who were being discharged from hospital to a care home to have a covid test.

“Only patients who had received a negative covid test were discharged.

“If they tested positive, infection prevention measures were put in place for the individual to prevent the virus from spreading and so that the patient could be treated appropriately.

“They would remain in hospital for the required period before they were discharged.”

However, this approach did not apply to patients attending appointments or the emergency department who were allowed to return to their care homes without being tested.

And crucially, the testing of inpatients was only introduced by the government in April 2020 – almost three months after the first covid case was detected in England and when there was no protection from vaccines.

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It is thought covid was transmitting at a much quicker rate than was known at these early stages in the pandemic, and once inside a care home it often spread to residents with devastating consequences.

410 care home deaths in North Yorkshire

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 410 covid deaths have been reported by North Yorkshire care homes which have had to deal with PPE and testing shortages, as well as ever changing government guidance on visiting restrictions.

Harrogate hospital said it was not impacted by the testing shortages.

But Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones said the government did recognise there were “challenges” with testing as he also praised staff at the hospital for their efforts during the pandemic.

Mr Jones said: 

“It seems clear to me that the staff at Harrogate hospital sought to deal with patients in the safest and most practical way during the pandemic.

“This must have been extremely difficult for them particularly in the early days of the pandemic when the world was fighting against something new and about which medical science knew little but could see it was deadly for many.

“There were also challenges with protective equipment supply, testing capability was still limited and hospitalisation rates were high.

“The description they have given about their testing regime would seem to most people to be practical and credible with patient safety at its heart.

“I want to again put on record my thanks to the clinical staff and also to the non-clinical support staff for ensuring the highest standards of patient care in unprecedented circumstances.”

Some care homes in the Harrogate district have had to cut back services because unvaccinated staff left rather than having covid vaccines.

The government made it mandatory for all care home workers to be vaccinated by November 11. It said this would protect people being cared for.

Richard Webb (pictured), corporate director for health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, told a media briefing this week that nine staff out of 2,000 at council-run care homes had refused to have the vaccine and therefore either had been redeployed or had their contracts terminated. Five of these were in Harrogate.

“That has caused some issues for us. We are obviously trying to replace people who have left us and that has meant we have had to downscale temporarily some of our day and respite services as people know them.

“We’ve put alternatives in place but that might be in a different location to your normal location for a break so we are in touch with families about that.”

Mr Webb said there were 500 care providers in total across North Yorkshire, adding:

“We’ve had approximately 240 people out of 20,000 who decided not to have the vaccination. Again, unfortunately they will be leaving social care. But overall that’s an incredible record and compares very well with many other places across England.

The county council began a social care recruitment drive Make Care Matter to plug the staff shortfall. Mr Webb said it had so far generated 170 applications and that 31 interviews were coming up and 14 people had been appointed to jobs.He said there would be a second recruitment phase after Christmas.

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