Care volunteers sought amid omicron surge in Harrogate district

Council staff who work in highways, planning and office jobs may step into care roles amid a shortage in staff caused by the omicron variant of coronavirus.

The Harrogate district has recorded unprecedented levels of case numbers in the last few weeks. The seven-day rate now up to 1,507 per 100,000 population.

An increase in virus spread has meant that many in the care sector have become infected and need to isolate.

North Yorkshire County Council has stepped up emergency planning to mitigate for what it calls a “significant reduction” in staff across critical care services and the wider care sector.

Staff took on different duties and worked extra hours over the holiday period. But now the county council has called on its wider workforce to help out.

Richard Flinton, who chairs the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies, said:

“We believe putting our workforce on an emergency footing in this way is vital to ensuring our partners in the NHS can function. It is about enabling patients to be discharged from hospital into care settings.

“These emergency plans will only be used if needed but will hopefully provide sufficient volunteers to get us through the Omicron wave. The wave may see as much as a 40% reduction in available care staff.

“Staff would be deployed in such circumstances on a range of different duties supporting care delivery in our elderly person’s homes and extra care settings to free up care colleagues to deliver direct care.

“So we are looking for colleagues to help with roles such as cooking, cleaning, helping people eat and drink and social activities.”

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The county council has said it will provid training and support as needed. It will also match new duties to normal working patterns.

Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health, said:

“These rates are unprecedented, higher than any since the start of the pandemic. But there is much we can do to protect each other.

“The priority is for all eligible people to get boosted and vaccinated and also to follow essential public health guidance as we head into the difficult winter months.

“Wear face masks when required, keep rooms ventilated and open to fresh air when meeting indoors, wash hands regularly and take a test when you go out to meet people.

“We need to pull together on this and each and every one of us can play our part. Please act now to protect yourselves, your loved ones and the county’s businesses and public services.”

People urged to get booster vaccine

Health bosses in the county have also urged people to continue to come forward for booster vaccinations.

Amanda Bloor, Accountable Officer for the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“There are lots of walk-in and booked appointments now available for booster vaccinations as we go into 2022. I would encourage everyone to take up the offer and make arrangements as they become eligible.”

Walk-in covid booster jabs are still available at Yorkshire Showground, Ripon Racecourse and the Chain Lane vaccination site in Knaresborough.

Both the Chain Lane and Yorkshire Showground sites will also be open this weekend for walk-in appointments.

Harrogate hospital reports another covid death

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another death from a patient who tested positive for covid.

According to NHS England data, the death was reported on January 5.

It means the death toll at the hospital from covid since March 2020 stands at 204.

Latest available figures show a total of 23 patients who tested positive for covid are currently being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

The figure is almost three times as high it was mid-December when the Omicron variant was first detected in the district.

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Meanwhile, the Harrogate district’s covid rate continues to climb after another 347 infections were reported today.

Latest figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average stands at 1,507 per 100,000 people — a record high.

But it remains below both the county average, which stands at 1,623, and the England rate of 1,799.

Harrogate council bosses warn tax rise needed to balance books

A 1.99% tax rise has been backed by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet after officials warned some of the authority’s key income streams won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023.

Paul Foster, head of finance at the council, told a meeting last night that the rise equates to an extra £5 per household per year and was needed as the authority is still feeling the effects of covid and decades of government funding cuts.

If the proposed increase gets final approval in February, contributions to the borough council for the average Band D property will rise to £255.92.

Mr Foster said last night: 

“Given the impacts of the pandemic, we are provisionally forecasting a budgeted reduction in income of £150,000 in 2022/23.

“And income is not forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023/24 in the areas of commercial property, planning fees and Harrogate Convention Centre lettings.”

Mr Foster also said government grant allocations had been reduced by £8.2m since 2010 and that the council would have to use reserves cash to fund some major projects.

These include plans to accelerate a redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, as well as carbon reduction works at the venue and other council-owned buildings.

Mr Foster said: 

“Overall, in order to produce a balanced budget, a net transfer from the budget transition fund of £142,000 is required.

“And finally, a thorough review of reserves has identified that just short of £4.5m can be repurposed, with a recommendation that £2.8m is set aside to fund the acceleration of works at the convention centre, and just short of £1.7m is set aside to support our carbon reduction strategy.”

The tax rise has been proposed as part of the council’s final ever budget before it is abolished and replaced with a new North Yorkshire-wide authority which will take over control of all services from April 2023.

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This will mark the biggest changes to local government in the area for almost 50 years, with elections to the new council set to take place in May 2022.

Currently, the borough council makes up just under 13% of council tax bills, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder.

Speaking at last night’s meeting, Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the council, said the authority’s council tax contributions represented “incredible value” and would help keep key services and projects running.

He said: 

“For £255 we not only empty the bins and provide local cleaning services, but also look after parks, gardens, leisure facilities, and health and homeless charity programmes.

“On top of that, we are still able to invest in meaningful activities that improve the district and lives of residents.”

Harrogate headteachers ‘nervous’ as schools return during covid surge

Harrogate headteachers say they are “nervous” about this week’s return to school as covid testing and face masks are reintroduced to minimise disruption during an expected rise in infections.

Secondary school pupils will now have to wear masks in class as well as in communal areas to help tackle the spread of the Omicron variant.

All students will also be expected to take an on-site test and complete twice-weekly testing from home under rules reintroduced by the government in response to surging cases.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said that although infections amongst staff and students were currently low, a rise was expected and this could lead to extra measures including entire year groups learning from home. He said:

“We have got seven staff who have tested positive, but this is not enough to significantly disrupt our provision.

“At this stage we are fine, but we are nervous and do have some trepidations about the term ahead.

“We had a point before Christmas where 30 staff members were off due to covid. We didn’t have to close year groups, but it was very tight.

“This is not new to us as for the past almost two years we have had significant disruptions.

“I’m confident we can continue to deal with this. Where I have a nervousness is if staff absences become so high we have to make a decision on whether it would be better to send a year group home.

“This is a decision I and many other headteachers may have to wrestle with in the coming weeks.”

Sylvia Brett, principal at Harrogate Ladies’ College, also said plans were in place to deal with any disruptions, including the recruitment of supply staff and combining classes. She said:

“We will do everything we possibly can to continue to deliver the high quality of education our pupils and families expect during these difficult times.”

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The return to school comes as there is a further push for staff and more young people to get vaccinated.

Latest figures show 77% of 16 to 17-year-olds and 58% of 12 to 15-year-olds in the Harrogate district have received vaccines which are being made available at sites including the Great Yorkshire Showground, Ripon Racecourse and local pharmacies.

Support to schools

After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the government is currently planning for exams to go ahead as normal this summer.

Stuart Carlton, corporate director of children and young people’s services at North Yorkshire County Council, said support would be offered to schools throughout the year and that the top priority was to ensure all students receive face-to-face education “where possible”. He said:

“Being educated in the classroom, among their friends and with the support of teaching staff, is the best place for pupils.

“Schools have worked hard to ensure they remain safe places and to minimise the spread of the virus, with the support of the council.

“We have provided updated risk assessment templates with the latest government guidance for education settings in the county.

“Schools have access to public health colleagues for advice and we are providing support and guidance in other areas such as health and safety, human resources and property issues.”

Harrogate district covid rate sets new high as Omicron cases surge

The Harrogate district’s covid rate is at its highest ever level as cases of Omicron continue to surge.

Latest figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average stands at 1,434 per 100,000 people.

The number sets a new milestone for the district since data started to be reported in March 2020.

Meanwhile, across the county the average stands at 1,491 and the England rate is 1,686.

Daily figures from the UK Health Security Agency show that a further 285 infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district today.

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

However, latest available figures show the number of covid patients being treated at Harrogate District Hospital has increased.

A total of 23 patients who tested positive for covid are currently in hospital.

The figure is almost three times as it was mid-December when the Omicron variant was first detected in the district.

Only nine are receiving treatment for covid — the others were admitted for different reasons and just happen to have the virus.

Nearly 200 Harrogate hospital staff have covid or are isolating

Harrogate hospital bosses said today that 196 staff currently have covid or are isolating as cases of Omicron continue to surge in the district.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said rising infection rates were putting pressure on staff, but added that the trust had contingency plans in place to deal with the increase in absences.

Several hospital trusts across the country have been forced to declare a “critical incident” due to the number of staff who are ill or self-isolating with covid.

But Mr Russell told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate hospital has not declared such an incident.

He added that the hospital was still in a position to provide priority services, despite rising infection rates.

Mr Russell said:

“Rising covid infection rates amongst the public and NHS staff are certainly putting pressure on trusts around the country, including our own. However, we are continuing to provide priority services for our community and have not needed to declare a critical incident.

“There are just over 5,000 people employed at HDFT, and of these 126 colleagues are currently absent from work as they have caught covid and 70 are in self-isolation.

“Currently at Harrogate District Hospital there are 23 patients who have tested positive for covid and nine of these are primarily in hospital for treatment for the virus.”

Rising cases of the Omicron variant has forced staff at a number of NHS trusts in England into isolation, which has led to severe and unsafe shortages of workers.

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On Sunday, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, which runs four hospitals in the county, declared a critical incident as it was unable to maintain safe staffing levels.

Since then, seven other hospital trusts have made a similar declaration including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

In the Harrogate district, the surge in cases of Omicron has seen the seven-day covid rate increase to 1,357 per 100,000 people – the highest it has ever been since the start of the pandemic.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Mr Russell said that Harrogate hospital had contingency plans in place should staffing levels deteriorate further.

They include redeploying staff to services which require support and having dedicated staff who are prepared to take on additional shifts.

He said:

“The staff absences at the trust is creating pressure for our teams, for instance fewer nursing and medical staff means that whilst we are still able to treat our patients’ for their illness or condition and ensure their safety, we are sometimes not able to provide the level of holistic support that we would like.

“It is important that we do all we can to maintain our services so that our patients’ care is not disrupted and we have contingency plans in place should the level of absences continue to rise, for instance redeploying staff where needed or having dedicated staff who are prepared to take on additional shifts. 

“Of course, depending upon staff absences, the situation may arise in the future where we need to prioritise acute care, which could impact upon admissions for operations, tests and outpatients appointments.”

Harrogate and Ripon vaccination sites reopen today

The vaccination centres at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and Ripon Races reopen today for the first time since Christmas.

The two sites are run by Yorkshire Health Network, which represents the 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district.

The Yorkshire Event Centre at the showground will open for booked appointments from 11am until 8pm. Appointments are still available.

The site will also accept walk-ins from 11.30am today but people choosing this option may have to wait because bookings take priority.

The showground will be open at the weekend from 8.30am to 5pm for booked appointments and from 9am to 4pm for walk-ins.

All the clinics are for first, second or booster jabs for over-18s. Special clinics for 12 to 17-year-olds are put on separately.

Ripon Races will be open tomorrow and on Saturday at the usual times of 8:30am to 5pm for booked appointments and 9am to 4pm for walk-ins.

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Staff and volunteers at the Yorkshire Event Centre are due to relocate to another building at the showground on Thursday and Friday, ready for the Saturday clinic.

The new site is currently contracted for use until March. A decision on fourth vaccinations has yet to be taken.

 

Covid cases fall in Harrogate district after yesterday’s daily record surge

A total of 404 infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district today — down on yesterday’s daily record figure of 493.

However, the district’s seven-day average rate of infection has risen from 1,139 and now stands at 1,329 per 100,000 people.

North Yorkshire’s rate is 1,269 and the England rate is 1,508.

Harrogate West and Pannal Ash remains the worst hit area, with 163 cases in the last seven days.

The number of people who have received a third or booster vaccine in the district stands at 101.983. A total of 364,100 vaccines have been administered.

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Huge surge in covid sees new daily record of 493 infections in Harrogate district

The daily record for covid cases in the Harrogate district has been obliterated, with 493 new infections recorded today.

Yesterday’s decline from the previous record of 330 to 279 had suggested numbers could have peaked. But today’s surge has dashed hopes.

The seven-day rate has also set a new record, now standing at 1,139 per 100,000. The North Yorkshire average is 1,140 and the England rate is 1,456.

The growth rate has jumped to 2.2. Harrogate West and Pannal Ash remains the worst hit area, with 156 cases in the last seven days.

Covid has been recorded on the death certificates of 366 people in the district, including one in the last week.

A total of 101,823 booster or third jabs have now been administered in the district.

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New year begins with fall in covid cases in Harrogate district

A total of 279 infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district today — down on yesterday’s figure of 330.

The district’s seven-day average rate of infection has also fallen slightly from yesterday’s record high of 1,094 per 100,000 people to 1,130.

North Yorkshire rate is 1,071 and the England rate is 1,363.

Harrogate west and Pannal Ash is the current covid hotspot, with 149 cases in the last seven days.

The number of people who have received a third or booster vaccine in the district stands at 101.821. A total of 363,883 vaccines have been administered.

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