Covid deaths at Harrogate hospital approaching 200 mark

The number of covid deaths at Harrogate District Hospital is approaching the 200 mark as health chiefs look to speed up vaccinations ahead of winter.

The hospital’s toll since the pandemic began currently stands at 195, with the latest death of a patient who died within 28 days of testing positive being reported on Wednesday last week.

However, the number of covid patients receiving treatment at the hospital has fallen slightly from 25 to 24 in the last seven days.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day infection rate has also fallen, from 591 per 100,000 people to 548 today. It remains the highest in North Yorkshire.

It is also above both the county and England averages of 470 and 372 respectively.

Long trips for booster jabs

Booster vaccines are being made available for over 50s and any over 16s with a health condition that puts them at high risk of covid.

The NHS has shortened the length of time between second and third doses – and those eligible can now get vaccinated simply by turning up at a walk-in site.

However, these sites are currently limited in Harrogate with patients being asked to travel to Pateley Bridge or outside of the district as far as Bradford or Batley.

The NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group last week said it was unable to open any more walk-in sites in the area as “all clinics are running at capacity” and that it would do so “as soon as possible”.

A CCG spokesperson said:

“If we open walk-ins now it is likely we would exceed our vaccine allocation and there would be some disappointed people and negative feedback which we are trying to avoid.”

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Appointment-based vaccines are still available to book at local clinics via the national booking system, which also has dedicated slots for 12 to 15-year-olds available at the Homecare Pharmacy site in Knaresborough.

There was an aim to complete the rollout of vaccines to this age group by the start of half-term, however, progress has been slow with less than 20% in the Harrogate district receiving their single dose.

These jabs are being made available at schools but also at other sites including Askham Bar in York, Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium, the Northern Echo Arena in Darlington and Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

It was recently announced that Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground will reopen as a vaccine centre for an expected busy period of booster jabs in December.
The venue closed for vaccinations in August but will reopen for two weeks at the start of next month.

 

Harrogate district covid rate soars above 700

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has risen above 700 per 100,000 for the first time.

Public Health England recorded another 174 cases today, which elevated the rate from 682 yesterday to 723 today.

The North Yorkshire rate is 528 and the England rate is 436.

Harrogate west and Pannal Ash is the current covid hotspot, with 97 infections in the last seven days.

Dishforth, Baldersby and Markington have recorded the fewest cases, with just 25.

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Appointment-free vaccines available at pop-up clinics this weekend

District residents will be able to get vaccinated without appointments at a number of pop-up coronavirus clinics this weekend.

The clinics will open in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge tomorrow and Sunday, and are part of a final push to get younger people vaccinated.

First and second doses will be offered to anyone aged over 18, while any care workers and those aged over 50 who have not yet taken up the opportunity to get vaccinated are also being urged to come forward.

The Wesley Centre on Oxford Street, Harrogate will offer first doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Saturday between 10am to 4pm.

In Knaresborough, the Homecare Pharmacy Vaccination Centre at the former Lidl site on York Road will offer first doses of the Moderna jab on Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 5pm.

And in Pateley Bridge, both first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available at Bishopside and Bewerley Memorial Hall on Park Road on Saturday between 8am and 5.50pm.

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Sue Peckitt, chief nurse at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said:

“These walk-in clinics are aimed at those people who have not taken up the opportunity to book their vaccine via the NHS National Booking Service or NHS 119.”

Driven by the faster-spreading Delta variant, Harrogate’s weekly infection rate is approaching record levels with a current average of 416 cases per 100,000 people.

The highest rate on record was 497 at the beginning of January.

The rise in infections has been followed by a slight increase in hospital admissions with five patients in Harrogate on Wednesday, although the hospital has not recorded a Covid-related death in more than three months.

Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said this was down to vaccines weakening the link between infections and serious illness, as she also urged people to make use of the pop-up clinics this weekend.

She said:

“Vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the risk of developing serious or life-threatening symptoms from coronavirus, as well as protecting others in the community.

“The vaccination programme in this country has been a huge success and the numbers of people becoming seriously ill, or dying, as a result of contracting the disease have fallen dramatically.

“That is why it is important for those who have not yet had a jab to do so and the walk-in clinics have been organised to make that as convenient as possible.”

Knaresborough vaccine centre to hold first walk-in clinic this weekend

Knaresborough’s vaccination centre is set to open its first walk-in clinic this weekend where people will not need an appointment.

The site at the former Lidl supermarket on York Road will be open between 9am and 1pm tomorrow with 400 Pfizer-Biontech vaccines available.

It will only be open to those who are yet to have their first jab. Only those who are over 18 are currently eligible.

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Homecare Pharmacy Service already has plans for another walk-in clinic next weekend, when it will have 2,300 Moderna jabs available. It hopes to hold more in future.

People can still book appointments during a walk-in clinic, which means they will be guaranteed a vaccine.

Jason Baskind, of Homecare Pharmacy Services, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are really excited to hold our first walk-in clinic. The way the whole vaccine programme has gone has been great.

“This weekend is going to be a momentous moment for the country, so why not make it more special and get a jab?

“It is quite likely that we will have queues so make sure to dress appropriately for the weather and be patient with our volunteers.”

Covid vaccines begin at Ripon racecourse

A steady stream of cars and taxis made their way through the gates of the newly-opened covid vaccination centre at Ripon racecourse this afternoon.

Early morning snow delayed the planned 8.30am opening but by 1.30pm, with a thaw set in and roads cleared, the first vaccination had taken place.

A team of doctors, support staff and marshals — some of them volunteers — were on hand to guide, reassure and assist those who came for their jab.

The centre is located in the Wakeman Bar, where punters normally celebrate winners or commiserate over losses.

Outside Ripon racecourse, where covid vaccinations started today.

Outside Ripon racecourse, where covid vaccinations started today.

It has been temporarily transformed into a smoothly-operating medical centre that can cater for up to 600 people a day.

The number was reduced today because of the lost hours this morning, but the weather forecast for tomorrow bodes well for a full day of vaccinations starting at 8.30am.

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Attendance is by appointment only.

The opening of a dedicated covid vaccination centre in Ripon comes just days after Ripon City Council offered the NHS facilities at the Hugh Ripley Hall in Skellbank for use in vaccinating local people.

Ripon is among a number of racecourses around the UK to make its facilities available so that the vaccination programme can be stepped up.

‘Long covid clinic’ opens at Harrogate District Hospital

Harrogate will be one of almost 70 locations in the UK to operate a clinic for people suffering with long-term effects from coronavirus, the NHS announced today.

The long covid clinics will take referrals from GPs for people suffering from a wide range of symptoms, including breathlessness, fatigue, anxiety and depression, after they have recovered from the virus itself.

Hosted by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, the centre will offer specialist treatment from doctors and nurses as well as physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Physical and psychological assessments will be carried out before patients are directed to appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said:

“The NHS is taking practical action to help patients suffering ongoing health issues as a result of coronavirus. Bringing expert clinicians together in these clinics will deliver an integrated approach to support patients access vital rehabilitation, as well as helping develop a greater understanding of long covid and its debilitating symptoms.”

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Research by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed one in five people with coronavirus went on to develop long-term symptoms. Around 186,000 people were affected for up to 12 weeks, according to the research.

The Harrogate District Hospital clinic is one of 18 similar operations which have been launched across the North East and Yorkshire. NHS England has provided £10 million of funding for the 69 sites across the country.

A new national covid taskforce has also been launched by the NHS, bringing patients, charities, researchers and clinicians together to lead the response to long covid, producing information and supporting materials for patients and healthcare professionals, and developing a wider understanding of the condition.

Are you suffering with long-term effects after having covid-19? What do you think of the plans for the new clinic? Get in touch to share your views and experiences: contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Two further covid deaths confirmed at Harrogate Hospital

Two more patients have died at Harrogate District Hospital after being diagnosed with covid-19.

Both deaths occurred on Thursday, December 10, and are confirmed in figures released today by NHS England.

It brings the total number of covid-19 deaths at the hospital to 106 since the pandemic began. The last deaths to be confirmed there were more than a week ago, with one on December 3, two on December 4 and one on December 5

Meanwhile, 17 more people have tested positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours across the Harrogate district. Today’s figures from Public Health England show the new cases bring the total number diagnosed to 3,822 since the start of the pandemic.

The seven-day average rate of cases for the district has dropped to 90.2 per 100,000 people, from 95.1 yesterday. For North Yorkshire, the number has fallen to 102.4 from 104.5 yesterday. It stands at 148 per 100,000 across Yorkshire and the Humber.

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Harrogate district has 23 new covid cases today

A further 23 people have received positive tests for covid-19 in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

The figures released by Public Health England today reveal that a total of 3,805 people in the district have been diagnosed with the virus since the pandemic began.

Meanwhile, today’s figures also show that a further 1,307 people across Yorkshire and the Humber have tested positive. The total number of positive cases in the region since the outbreak started now stands at 226,546.

Across North Yorkshire, 646 new cases have been confirmed in the last seven days, of which 153 were in the Harrogate district.

The seven-day average case rate for the Harrogate district up to December 6 remains at 95 per 100,000 people. It had peaked at more than 300 in early November.

The rate for North Yorkshire as a whole is slightly higher, at 104.5.

As the vaccine roll-out begins, an announcement is expected next week about where in North Yorkshire it will be delivered. Up to now, vaccinations have only been carried out at central points, with the closes to Harrogate being Leeds.

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Covid forces Harrogate and Knaresborough libraries to close

Harrogate and Knaresborough libraries have fully closed after staff at each building contracted covid.

The libraries closed for browsing during the second lockdown but people could still order books and collect them at the entrance.

Library members could also book computers for emergency use.

But it was announced yesterday that both sites have totally closed for an unspecified length of time.

Chrys Mellor, North Yorkshire County Council’s general manager of libraries, said:

“Harrogate is one of two libraries that have closed because a member of library staff in each has tested positive for covid. The second library is Knaresborough.

“The libraries have therefore been closed on a temporary basis while the building is cleaned and staff self-isolate.

“No members of the public have been put at risk of infection.”

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57 more people test positive for coronavirus

A further 57 people in the Harrogate district have tested positive for covid-19, according to figures released today.

It means the district’s total confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic is now 2,106.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, 3,565 further cases were confirmed today, bringing the total for the region to 115,145 since the outbreak began.

No further deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital in today’s figures from NHS England.

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Yesterday, the hospital reported the death of a patient who had been diagnosed with coronavirus. The death took place on Sunday, October 25.

The total number of deaths in patients with covid-19 at the hospital since the start of the pandemic stands at 85.

Regionally, 44 deaths were confirmed today in Yorkshire and the Humber, out of a total of 207 across England. The patients were aged between 36 and 101, and all except six of them – aged between 60 and 93 – had known underlying health conditions.