Harrogate Nightingale could be used as vaccination centre

Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital could become a vaccination centre when a coronavirus vaccine is ready to be rolled out.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the country’s Nightingales were “one possible way” of offering the vaccine to significant numbers of people.

Set up in April at a cost of £27 million, the Harrogate Nightingale has so far not treated a single covid patient.

It comes as health bosses in North Yorkshire said earlier this week that they will be prepared to rollout the vaccine once it is ready.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Resilience Forum that health bosses were putting plans in place for the county

She said:

“Although there is some uncertainty on timescales, we will be ready in December to deploy a vaccine if it is available.

“But it is likely that wider vaccination will take place after Christmas and into the New Year. Any vaccination that happens before Christmas would be for very vulnerable groups.

“We are planning to be ready for this with our partners.

“Even when we do have a vaccine, we still need to observe any social distancing measures, lockdown measures and the guidance around hand washing and hygiene.”

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council. also welcomed the results of the vaccine but warned that “long term behavioural change” was needed to tackle the virus.

The Pfizer and BioMTech vaccine was revealed to be 90% effective after being tested on 43,500.

A rollout of the vaccine is expected to target older and vulnerable people first.

‘Do not be afraid’: Harrogate woman’s testing centre experience

A Harrogate woman has opened up about her coronavirus testing experience to alleviate fears about the process.

Susan Bowers Scarre, a social media marketing professional, went to the testing centre in the car park on Dragon Road, Harrogate yesterday.

She did not have the usual covid symptoms but was asked to get a test as part of a covid research study.

The Stray Ferret has previously reported people having difficulty booking tests but Susan said the entire experience lasted about five minutes and was straightforward.

“I was a little apprehensive because I didn’t know what to expect. I heard before that it was hard to make an appointment but I could have booked anytime in the day.

“The centre was extremely efficient. There were staff at the door who show you to a private room and make sure you know what to do.”

It wasn’t the most pleasant experience: Susan had to swab her tonsils and nostrils but it was soon over.

Once finished, she put the swab into a vial, which then went into a bag and the bag went into a box on the way out.

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So far Susan has not received her results, which she believes to be negative, but she expects them in the next couple of days.

The full-time testing centre in Harrogate replaced the mobile testing centre site in October.

It has the capacity to do 320 tests a day but is currently averaging 200 a day. The centre is made up of a series of floodlit modular buildings.

Harrogate care homes install visiting pods

Care homes in the Harrogate district have installed visiting pods so residents can meet relatives safely.

Vida Healthcare has opened three ‘together again’ pods to enable visits to continue over winter. One is at Vida Hall in Starbeck and two are at Vida Grange in Pannal.

Current guidance allows for one designated visitor per pod. But if one relative cannot attend another person can visit instead using the pod.

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The pod enables Anne Thompson to see her husband, who has been at Vida Hall since 2015. She said:

“The staff at Vida have been wonderful in allowing us to keep up with the daily lives of our loved ones, however it’s been stressful not being able to visit in person.

“Seeing our loved ones is really important to us and it’s comforting to know that you’ve set up these pods to give us safe opportunities to come and visit.”

One of the pods at Vida Grange.

Bernadette Mossman, the healthcare director at Vida Healthcare, said:

“Visiting relatives in care homes is a fundamental need for families and residents. The pandemic has reduced our ability to be able to facilitate this much needed interaction.

“Our brand new ‘together again’ visiting pods are one example of innovations we’re implementing to ensure our residents can safely connect with their loved ones.”

Guidance on care home visits

Care home visits will continue in North Yorkshire despite the country entering a second national lockdown.

The county council restricted visits during October but advised homes they could relax the rules in November to allow one designated visitor for each resident.

Officials have said the measure will continue through lockdown, but homes that report an outbreak will have to restrict visits.

North Yorkshire ‘will be prepared’ for covid vaccine

Health bosses in North Yorkshire have said they will be prepared to rollout a coronavirus vaccine in December, if it is available.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which buys medicines for the county, said it was working with national officials to make sure plans are in place to offer the vaccine.

It comes as preliminary results of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine showed that it was 90% effective after being tested on 43,500 people.

Ms Bloor told a press briefing yesterday of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of agencies that tackle emergencies, there was “significant work” to do on the safety of the vaccine but the CCG would be ready for a rollout next month.

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She said:

“Although there is some uncertainty on timescales, we will be ready in December to deploy a vaccine if it is available.

“But it is likely that wider vaccination will take place after Christmas and into the New Year. Any vaccination that happens before Christmas would be for very vulnerable groups.

“We are planning to be ready for this with our partners.”

“Even when we do have a vaccine, we still need to observe any social distancing measures, lockdown measures and the guidance around hand washing and hygiene.”

‘Don’t contact your GP’

Ms Bloor urged patients not to contact GP practices about the vaccine as it is not available. She said once it is, the CCG will be “very clear about the process”.

The government has said that any vaccine will be offered to the public in phases.

The first phase will include people living and working in care homes, those over the age of 80, then over 75, over 70, over 65 and then over 60.

It will then be offered to adults with health conditions that put them at risk, before it is given to those over the age of 55 and then 50.

The vaccine is given in two doses, three weeks apart.

‘Cautiously optimistic’

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, welcomed the preliminary results of the Pfizer vaccine.

Dr Sargeant said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the results but added there needed to be “long-term behavioural change” to overcome the virus.

He said:

“Any new drug or any new vaccine, the preliminary results are always going to be rosey for a variety of reasons.

“It is likely that when this vaccine is deployed fully that the effectiveness will be somewhat less than 90%.

“But it is still positive news, because it says that we have a vaccine that not only does the biology in terms of triggering the anti-bodies but in practice it can actually prevent infection.”

Meanwhile, a further 75 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed across the Harrogate district according to Public Health England figures today.

It takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 3,178.

The seven-day rolling average rate of covid infections for the district has risen above 300 people per 100,000 for the first time.

The rate, which was 160 just over a fortnight ago, is now 307, which is above the England average of 254.

Harrogate district covid rate soars past 300 people per 100,000

The seven-day rolling average rate of covid infections for the Harrogate district has risen above 300 people per 100,000 for the first time.

The rate, which was 160 just over a fortnight ago, is now 307, which is above the England average of 254.

The figure adds to recent data suggesting North Yorkshire, and the Harrogate district in particular, is currently faring worse than many other parts of the country in the fight against coronavirus.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, acknowledged the county was now in a “very different place” to pre-lockdown little more than a week ago. He said:

“Infection rates are soaring in many areas.

“We had been doing very well and we went into the current lockdown in the lowest tier of intervention. Sadly, our current rates put us in a very different place.

“Our economy is also suffering. Our hospitality sector, famous the world over for its hearty welcome and high-quality food and drink, is in lockdown again. And although we have generally good levels of employment across the county, we also struggle with low wages and high house prices in many areas.”

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The rise has sparked fears that Harrogate may be placed in a higher tier of restrictions when lockdown is due to end on December 2.

It was revealed yesterday that the number of patients being treated for coronavirus in Harrogate District Hospital has nearly doubled in a week, from 15 to 28.

Figures were also released showing the new covid testing site in Harrogate is testing 200 people a day.

Third covid death at Harrogate hospital since second lockdown

Harrogate District Hospital has reported a third coronavirus deaths since the start of the second lockdown.

According to NHS England statistics today, the latest death was reported on November 9 and follows two deaths recorded on November 5.

They bring the total number of deaths at the hospital since the start of the pandemic to 91.

The number of covid patients in the hospital has nearly doubled since last week.

Today, county council bosses warned that North Yorkshire faces further restrictions after lockdown if infections are not brought under control.

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Currently the county is above the national average for weekly case rates, with 280 cases per 100,000 people.

The England average is 245.

Scarborough’s rate is the highest of the seven North Yorkshire districts at 463, with Harrogate second on 294.

According to Public Health England figures, the Harrogate district recorded a further 64 positive cases in the last 24 hours.

It takes the total number since the start of the pandemic to 3,103.

Meanwhile, it was revealed at a press briefing today that the permanent testing site on Dragon Parade, in Harrogate is testing on average 200 people per day. The number is up on 150 last week.

Harrogate council gives £31,000 to Welcome to Yorkshire

Harrogate Borough Council has today agreed to pay £31,472 to troubled Welcome to Yorkshire to help keep the tourism body afloat.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of the council, approved the sum at a meeting with council officers.

It comes as Welcome to Yorkshire faces a funding gap of £1.4 million amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The tourism body revealed the shortfall in July and wrote to council leaders in the county asking for support – of which around £450,000 was needed from authorities in North Yorkshire.

The organisation was deprived of £1 million in business rates after councils in North and West Yorkshire saw the pandemic reduce their income.

A further £400,000 shortfall was created when Welcome to Yorkshire suspended its membership fees.

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Now Harrogate Borough Council has followed North Yorkshire County Council, which has paid £290,000 in additional funding, to help bailout the organisation.

In a report before Cllr Cooper today, the council said it would fund the contribution from both its revenue budget and business rates retention reserve.

‘Positive projection’

Welcome to Yorkshire said failure to support it would reduce the “positive projection” of the county provided by the tourism body.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“This financial support will enable Welcome to Yorkshire to continue to support tourism in Yorkshire and the Harrogate district at a time when it is needed the most.”

Welcome to Yorkshire was hit by controversy when former boss, Sir Gary Verity, resigned in March 2019 on health grounds. He later faced allegations of bullying and inappropriately claiming expenses, which he denied.

Two inquiries carried out after Sir Gary’s resignation cost the tourism body £482,500.

Paul Scriven, a former leader of Sheffield City Council and a Liberal Democrat peer, told the House of Lords Welcome to Yorkshire had a “culture of toxicity” and misused public funds.

Covid patients in Harrogate hospital nearly double in a week

The number of patients being treated for coronavirus in Harrogate District Hospital has nearly doubled in a week.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, revealed at a media briefing today 28 people were currently being treated in the hospital – an increase of 13 on last week.

Hospital admissions in North Yorkshire as a whole are increasing sharply and are now approaching the peak of the first wave of the epidemic.

Currently 252 patients are in hospitals run by the three main NHS trusts in North Yorkshire, compared with 302 at the height of the pandemic.

Areas of the county have seen a dramatic increase in cases, with Scarborough reporting a weekly rate of 464 per 100,000 people – more than double last week.

Harrogate district is the next highest on 294 and North Yorkshire as a whole is now above the national average of 245.

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Richard Webb, director of adult social care at North Yorkshire County Council, warned there was a risk the county could face tougher restrictions than pre-lockdown when the tier system resumes.

Mr Webb told the press briefing of the North Yorkshire Resilience Forum, a partnership of agencies which responds to emergencies, it was important for people to do “all they can” to tackle the virus in the next three weeks.

He said:

“In two weeks time, the government will receive the data on the impact of the lockdown and we will also be assessing our data.

“As North Yorkshire, we went into the lockdown as tier one and that was the lowest level of alert. 

“However, as we see the cases at the moment, we have a real concern that we will face tougher restrictions coming out of the lockdown than we faced going into the lockdown.

“That’s why it is really important that we do all we can together to tackle this virus.”

The England lockdown is due to finish on December 2. The government has said the country will then return to a tier system.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at the county council, welcomed the preliminary results of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer that has shown to be 90% effective in preliminary results.

Dr Sargeant said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the results but added there needed to be “long-term behavioural change” to overcome the virus.

The Harrogate district areas with the most and least covid infections

The Harrogate district has suffered a worrying increase in the rate of covid infections in recent weeks.

The rolling seven-day average of new cases per day has risen from 160 per 100,000 a fortnight ago to 287 today.

The R number, which refers to the virus’ reproduction rate, has gone up from 1.4 last week to 1.6.

Another 68 infections were confirmed today, taking the total since the start of the pandemic past 3,000.

But the spread of the virus is uneven. Some parts of the district have been hit harder than others.

Unsurprisingly, the more densely populated areas are suffering most.

Here are the five local community areas to have experienced the highest and lowest number of infections over the last seven days, according to government figures.

Highest

1 Harrogate East 45

2 Killinghall and Hampsthwaite 41

3 Harrogate West and Pannal 35

4 Central Harrogate 26

5 Hookstone 25

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Lowest

1 Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley 7

2 Masham, Kirkby Malzeard & North Stainley 9

3 Boroughbridge & Marton-cum-Grafton 11

4 Ouseburn, Hammerton & Tockwith 13

5 Ripon North & West 14

Harrogate primary school’s plea: help our pupils who are isolating

A primary school in Harrogate has launched an urgent appeal to help pupils who are struggling with self-isolation at home.

Grove Road Community Primary School currently has 11 staff, including the head teacher, and about 140 pupils self-isolating either because they have coronavirus or have been in contact with somebody who has.

Chris Harrison, the assistant head, told the Stray Ferret its appeal for help had generated an “incredible” response so far:

“We have been trying to look after those families. With job strains and the added pressure of the kids being at home it stacks up.

“Our original appeal was for food but we have had so many food donations. We’d particularly like to thank Resurrected Bites and Chartwells.”

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Now the school is asking people to donate toys to help with happiness or digital devices to help with learning.

The government said it would give devices to schools for pupils to use at home but Grove Road was not allocated any.

Some of the food donations that have flooded in.

Mr Harrison said this was the first time many pupils have had to fully isolate for two weeks.

He added it was particularly difficult for families without outdoor space.

Anyone who can help with the school’s appeal should get in touch with the school on Twitter or give the reception a call on 01423 506060.