Hospitals, schools and care homes braced for record temperatures in Harrogate district

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

A new recycling wheelie bin to be trialled in Knaresborough

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:

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.”

 

Positive covid patients at Harrogate hospital doubles in three weeks

The number of patients at Harrogate District Hospital who tested positive for covid has more than doubled in three weeks.

Latest figures supplied by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust show 35 covid-positive patients are currently in hospital — a rise from 14 on June 25.

Of that number, six are primarily receiving treatment for covid.

The figure peaked at 42 positive patients on July 5, but has since declined.

Harrogate hospital officials have put the rise in cases down to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Health officials have warned that hospitals are under extreme pressure due to a rise in cases.

West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, which includes Harrogate hospital, said that the increase in cases has meant the availability of beds has been impacted.

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This combined with covid-related staff sickness means patients are also facing delays for planned treatment, officials said.

Dr Phil Wood, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 

“The significant upsurge in covid-19 cases in West Yorkshire and Harrogate means that our hospitals are facing extreme pressures. Our teams are doing everything they can to make sure that services are safe and, in some cases, planned treatment may need to be postponed.

“We are aware that some people have been waiting for planned operations for a very long time and, wherever possible, we will ensure these go ahead as planned.

“Thankfully, the number of very seriously ill people needing treatment in intensive care for covid-19 is very small and accounts for less than two per cent of total inpatient cases. 

“The covid-19 vaccine is very effective at preventing severe disease in those who have been immunised and I’d encourage anyone who has not yet had their vaccine to book an appointment through the NHS.uk website.”

Harrogate Scrubbers to showcase memory quilts in Victoria Shopping Centre

Quilts made by members of Harrogate Scrubbers are set to go on display at the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Harrogate Scrubbers had 800 members making scrubs for hospital staff during the first covid lockdown.

In just six weeks, they handed over 2,037 scrubs to front line staff at Harrogate District Hospital at a time when there was a shortage of PPE supplies.

To celebrate their achievement, the scrubbers were invited to sew a square of fabric detailing what it meant to them to be part of the sewing group. The squares were then stitched together to create five memory quilts.

The group showcased the quilts at Pavilions of Harrogate in May. Now, the quilts are set to go on display for the public in the shopping centre in Harrogate town centre on Wednesday, July 27 until the end of August.

Founding member Fran Taylor said:

“We were so overwhelmed by the reaction of the public to the memory quilts that the group made to remember the scrubs that were made for Harrogate hospital in the first lockdown, that we decided to find somewhere to display them for everyone to be able to see them.

“It has been brilliant to collaborate with the Victoria Shopping Centre and use one of their units to display them all, throughout the whole summer, enabling people to come and see them from anywhere.

“We want people to look back and remember some of the positives that came out of the pandemic, and how the community pulled together to support each other, also benefitting everyone’s mental wellbeing as well.”

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James White, centre manager of Victoria Shopping Centre, said: 

“It is a true privilege to be able to honour the exceptional work that the Harrogate Scrubbers have done and continue to do for our community.”

 

Harrogate hospital urges visitors to wear masks amid covid case rise

Harrogate District Hospital has urged visitors to wear a mask on inpatient wards following rising covid cases.

The district has seen a spike in cases of the virus this past month due to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

At the end of May, the district’s rate of infection was 55 people per 100,000. It is now 218.

Now, officials at the hospital have urged visitors to inpatient wards to wear a mask when coming to the hospital.

A statement from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Due to rising covid-19 rates in the community, please can visitors wear a mask on our inpatient wards to protect our patients and staff, and prevent the spread of the virus.”

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Harrogate hospital is also treating 11 patients who tested positive for covid. However, none of those patients are in hospital primarily for treatment for the virus.

Last week, public health officials in North Yorkshire urged people to take measures to avoid covid after the rate surged.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Cases of covid are once again rising across the UK, including in North Yorkshire.

“The latest increase is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron, which has also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.”

Harrogate District Hospital sees rise in covid cases

Harrogate District Hospital has seen a rise in covid case this past month due to the spread of new variants.

The hospital currently has 11 patients who have tested positive for covid.

However, none of those patients are primarily in hospital for treatment for the virus.

It comes as the Harrogate district has seen a rise in cases due to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

At the end of May, the district’s rate of infection was 55 people per 100,000. It is now 172.

A spokesperson for Harrogate District Hospital said:

“There has been a rise in covid cases at Harrogate District Hospital over the last month as numbers rise in the community due to the new covid variants. This is a trend which is being seen across the country.

“We currently have 11 patients at Harrogate District Hospital who have tested positive for covid and none of these are primarily in hospital for treatment for covid.

“The trust continues to manage covid patients in line with national guidance. Patients with covid are cared for in specific areas of the hospital to minimise transmission and in these areas more strict PPE is in use.”

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Last week, public health officials in North Yorkshire urged people to take measures to avoid covid after the rate surged.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Cases of covid are once again rising across the UK, including in North Yorkshire.

“The latest increase is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron, which has also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.”

Dr Turner added that getting vaccinated, meeting outdoors or in well-ventilated areas indoors, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces, and good hand and respiratory hygiene would reduce the risk of transmission.

She also advised people with covid symptoms to try to stay at home for five days following the day of their positive result.

Harrogate hospital to spend £900,000 on A&E streaming service

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is to spend £900,000 on an emergency department streaming service aimed at reducing waiting times.

Under the plans, Harrogate District Hospital patients will be assessed on arrival at A&E.

If they have a less serious illness or injury will be transferred to another part of the hospital, which will have its own designated clinical practitioners.

Hospital officials said this will allow the emergency department to “focus on patients who require urgent stabilisation, resuscitation and/or further assessment in our hospital”.

As part of the £900,000 spend, new staff will be hired and enhancements made to the existing department.

The trust said the streaming model will be introduced gradually over the next four to six months as training and building work takes place. It aims to have the new system fully operational by winter this year.

A spokesperson for HDFT said:

“The streaming model in the emergency department at Harrogate District Hospital is focused on improving the experience and timeliness of care for patients attending the emergency department.

“It will help us to reduce delays and some of the pressure in the main emergency department, which is a significant area of concern for all trusts.

“Patients arriving at the emergency department will be rapidly assessed and if they have a less serious illness or injury they will be transferred into the new stream which will have its own trained clinical practitioners with injury and minor/moderate illness skills.

“This will allow the main emergency department to focus on patients who require urgent stabilisation, resuscitation and/or further assessment in our hospital.”

Long waiting times

Latest figures show that Harrogate District Hospital had 4,331 attendances to its emergency department in April 2022.

The national standard for emergency department waiting times is to admit, transfer or discharge 95% of patients within four hours.

Harrogate District Hospital.

Harrogate District Hospital

According to NHS England figures, 66% of patients were seen within that timeframe at Harrogate hospital.

In April, West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, which is a partnership of six hospital trusts including Harrogate, urged patients to only attend emergency departments for life-threatening injury or illnesses.

Dr Andrew Lockey, consultant physician in emergency medicine with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which is part of the association, warned that units were “extremely busy” with waits of up to 12 hours.

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Officials at Harrogate hospital hope that the new streaming model will help to relieve pressure on the department.

The move comes as other hospital trusts across the UK have introduced similar measures.

In 2018, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust spent £500,000 on expanding Boston Pilgrim Hospital’s emergency unit in order to introduce a streaming service.

At the time, ULHT said it felt there were too many patients attending the emergency department who could be seen by a general practitioner instead.

No Monkeypox cases treated at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has confirmed that it has not treated any cases of Monkeypox.

The UK Health Security Agency has reported 172 cases of the virus in England so far.

The virus, which originated in Africa, causes a mild infection and is spread through contact with scabs on the skin, bedding and towels used by an infected person.

It can also be transmitted through coughs and sneezes from those who have been infected.

A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust confirmed yesterday it had not treated any patient with the disease.

However, they added that the trust had taken precautions to prevent the spread of Monkeypox within its hospitals.

A spokesperson for the trust said:

“Monkeypox is quite difficult to pass on unless in close contact, and tends to happen through broken skin, although it can happen through a cough or sneeze if you are in close proximity.

“In this respect the same precautions that we introduced during the covid pandemic and that are still relevant for visitors to our hospital today are relevant for monkeypox — anyone visiting the hospital still wears a mask, washes/sanitises their hands frequently, and maintains social distancing where possible together with ensuring good ventilation.”

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Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency has not confirmed any cases of the virus within Yorkshire.

The public health body added on its website that the majority of cases confirmed had been found in gay and bisexual men. But it stressed that the disease is not sexually transmitted.

The UKHSA said:

“The risk to the UK population remains low, but we are asking people to be alert to any new rashes or lesions, which would appear like spots, ulcers or blisters, on any part of their body.

“Although this advice applies to everyone, the majority of the cases identified to date have been among men who are gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men, so we are asking these people in particular to be aware of the symptoms, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner.”

Harrogate hospital chief says care shortages making it ‘difficult’ to discharge patients

The chief of Harrogate District Hospital has warned problems in the care sector are making it “really difficult” to discharge patients who are well enough to leave.

Official figures show the number of patients who have been in the hospital for more than 21 days has almost doubled from 48 in April 2021 to 83 last month.

Jonathan Coulter, acting chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, told a board meeting today a shortage of care home beds and staff were causing the delays to discharging some patients.

He said the continued impact of covid was also having an impact:

“There are capacity constraints all the way through the system, from being able to staff care homes effectively and appropriately through to social care packages.

“All of these things mean people are not leaving hospital even though it is a less safe place for them to be.”

Mr Coulter also said the delays were causing problems for the flow of patients through the hospital from arrivals to discharges.

Harrogate District Hospital.

Harrogate District Hospital

He explained the hospital was working with the care sector to tackle the delays and that other internal action was being taken, including a week-long event to speed up the system.

He added the hospital was continuing to recruit new staff and had committed funding to improve its emergency department:

“The whole pathway is under pressure. It is challenging… but we have got a plan and are sticking with it. The important thing is that we don’t tolerate or normalise where we are at the moment.

“It is also really important that we tackle the improvement work in a really positive spirit.”

Mr Coulter said the pressures across the health and care system were still being exacerbated by covid, although the position was “much improved” from earlier in the pandemic.

He also said the reduction of the covid alert level from level four to three last week marked a “massively important step” for the NHS.

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Harrogate hospital currently has 15 covid patients, while staff absences as a result of the virus have dropped from over 200 earlier this year to the current position of around 70.

Meanwhile, the district’s weekly infection rate currently stands at 93 covid cases per 100,000 people – its lowest level since at least last September.

Harrogate Scrubbers complete covid memory quilts

At its peak, Harrogate Scrubbers had 800 members making scrubs for hospital staff during the first covid lockdown. The group worked frantically and in just six weeks, 2037 scrubs were handed over to front line staff at Harrogate District Hospital.

It was an extraordinary community response to a health crisis and a serious shortage of PPE supplies.

To celebrate and remember their achievement, scrubbers were invited to sew a square of fabric for a quilt. Each was asked to detail what it meant to them to be part of the sewing group.  The squares have been made into five beautiful quilts. The scrubbers founder, Fran Taylor, has also created a book with photos of the squares and each group member’s memories.

Tonight, the group will gather at the Pavilions of Harrogate to see the quilts on display in what is expected to be an emotional event.

Fran explained,

“The experience of being part of the Harrogate Scrubbers meant so much to so many people, that we wanted to commemorate the groups achievements, and also give everyone something to remember for the part they played supporting the NHS in the pandemic”

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One of the five completed quilts (above) and below an excerpt from Fran’s book. 

Lisa Sumpton from Harrogate, who two years ago was in charge of logistics for the scrubbers, said:

“It’s just nice to see all the squares that have been lovingly made by individuals- to represent a moment when a community came together to something good at a time of great uncertainty”.

The contribution the scrubbers made to support the NHS and its staff locally has not been forgotten.

Sammy Lambert, the business development, charity and volunteer manager for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“It does feel surreal two years on. Unless you lived through the time and felt the community spirit, it’s hard to explain.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Fran and all the scrubbers for helping us to do our jobs at such a difficult time”

Tonight the scrubbers will come together, many having formed friendships through the project, they’ll raise a glass to each other and be formally thanked by Sarah Armstrong, Chair of Harrogate Hospital Trust for their wonderful work during the pandemic.

 

 

Harrogate woman sets up Lupus support group after 40-year battle

Forty years on from her diagnosis, a woman has set up a Harrogate Lupus support group for local people to find support and hopefully comfort in hearing the experience of others.

Cherry Bratkowski was 23-years-old when she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease. She’s now 61-years-old and over the years has experienced severe fatigue, rashes, liver and brain inflammation and numerous cases of pneumonia.

A main motivator for setting up the group for her was having to go through years of hospital admissions with her daughter, Tess Bratkowski, before she got an autoimmune diagnosis at 26-years-old.

Similar to her mum, Tess developed symptoms from the age of 12 but it has taken years of letters to MPs and consultants to get the right referral.

Tess Bratkowski

Ms Bratkowski is a professional musician and the resident pianist at the Old Swan, Harrogate. She said her diagnosis meant she couldn’t follow her original career path because she was too ill.

She knows other people will have similar experiences and hopes they could find comfort in sharing them with others:

“I’ve been very lucky in a lot of ways, I was told it was 80% unlikely that I could carry a child but I had two. But I’ve also been very ill, I just feel like there needs to be a lot more awareness.”

Lupus is thought to affect one in every 1,000 people but with no specialist lupus nurse at Harrogate District Hospital she believes there isn’t enough support.

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She said she had wanted to set up a group after the previous Harrogate group disbanded.

The musician plans to hold meetings at Woodlands Methodist Church Hall, with the first next Tuesday, May 24, between 1pm and 3.30pm.

Ms Bratkowski has worked with national charity Lupus UK to set up the group and hopes to encourage people across the district to attend.

She added:

“Watching my daughter brought it home to me how many people are suffering, whether its their medication side effects or isolation during covid it’s been very difficult for us.

“The help just isn’t there, people just don’t know enough about it even doctors and specialists.”

To contact Ms Bratkowski about the meeting, email Organpipe@icloud.com.