When Kim Ellis had back pain on the last day of her Lanzarote holiday, she thought she was just unwell.

She was only 26 weeks pregnant, so it didn’t even enter her head that she might actually be going into labour.

Just over 24 hours later, on October 12, 2021, her “miracle baby” Ava was born, weighing a tiny 1lb 15oz.

She said:

“You worry about miscarrying, but you never think your baby could come that early. It didn’t even enter my head.”

Baby Ava in hospital.

Last weekend the brave little girl was christened in Harrogate, surrounded by her family and friends.

More support

Now, Kim is calling for more support for mums who have had premature births.

The hairdresser, who owns Blossom Hair, based at the Wellness Rooms, on Cold Bath Place, said:

“It is actually such a big thing, but not always something that is really talked about.”

When I met Kim for a coffee, I was in awe of this incredibly resilient mum who had clearly been through so much.

After cooing over a sleeping Ava for five minutes, we started chatting and I learned that her story actually began in the January lockdown of 2021.

Dating website

Kim explained that she had met her partner Connor Stewart on dating website. After chatting, they decided to meet up for a walk in the New Year, just a day before the third national lockdown.

She said:

“We were in our own little bubble then. So we decided to carry on meeting up for walks, chatting and FaceTiming. So really we got to know each other quite well, because there was nothing else to do.

“We made all these plans to go on holiday and do all sorts of things.

“Then in May I found out I was pregnant. It was a complete and utter shock, as we had literally only been together for about three months.

“We discussed everything and said ‘let’s just do this’. As we weren’t even living together at that point, he moved in with me and we started preparing for the baby.”

Back Pain

When restrictions were eased in October last year, the couple decided to book a short break to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands.

Kim said:

“We flew on October 6. I had been checked out and was about to go into my 25th week.

“We had a great holiday. Then on our last day, I started getting a bit of back pain.”

Kim realised she could barely walk up the steps to their room.

She said:

“The baby wasn’t due until January 16, so I was wondering how I was going to cope until then. I felt like she was so low down, she was going to drop out!”

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What she thought was back ache, actually turned out to be contractions, which started to come on thick and fast during the night.

She said:

“I could feel her moving the whole time, so I wasn’t concerned at all. I just thought it was me.

“But then it continued and there was definitely a pattern. It got to 2am, so I rang Harrogate Hospital to ask for advice. They thought it could be a urine infection.”

At around 8am, Kim noticed she had started bleeding. As the baby was still moving, she believed there was something wrong with her, so she decided to visit a medical centre near the hotel.

She said:

“Poor Connor didn’t have a clue what was going on. Covid rules were so strict over there, he was kept away from me.”

After being taken by ambulance to the main hospital on the island 40 minutes away, Kim was relieved to be met by a huge team of midwives and doctors.

4cm dilated

However, her relief was quickly replaced with shock when she was told she was 4cm dilated.

She said:

“They were really positive, as obviously I was only 26 weeks. But they weren’t sure if the baby would have any health problems. However, they said she seemed really strong.”

After being given medication to stop her contractions, Kim was taken to a bed to get some sleep.

But then her waters broke.

‘So strong’

She said:

“It was now Tuesday morning, it was 10am and I was 7cm. I stayed 7cm all day, so then they had to put me on a drip to try and induce me.

“I just got set up with gas and air when I was told I needed to push.

“They had to be careful how to deliver her as she was so small. But she was ready to arrive. She was in the right position. She was so strong, she didn’t get distressed.

“They told me not to be be alarmed if she didn’t cry as she had weaker lungs. But when she came out she was crying and looking around at everybody.”

Kim cuddles tiny baby Ava at the hospital in Lanzarote.

Ava was then taken away and put on a ventilator ready for both mum and baby to be airlifted to a larger hospital on Gran Canaria, which had more facilities.

However, the doctors discovered Kim had been bleeding, so she was whisked off to theatre.

This meant that Ava was flown to hospital without her mum.

Kim said:

“I got to see her for about 10 minutes before she got transferred to Gran Canaria, which was really hard. But I was just so relieved she was going to get the care she needed.”

Ava is airlifted to Gran Canaria.

Just under two days later, quite remarkably, Kim boarded a standard passenger flight to Gran Canaria to be reunited with Ava.

Adrenaline

She said:

“I don’t know how I did it. I just wanted to get to my baby. It was total adrenaline.

“It was so amazing to see her, but it was hard as she had lost weight. However, she was doing really well and wasn’t on a ventilator.

“Apart from two blood transfusions, she just did so well.

Kim stayed on the island by Ava’s side for six weeks.

She said:

“Connor had to go back to work at Avenue Bakery, in Bilton. He also had to move house for us. So I got out of that one!

“We had to get Ava an emergency passport. I was quite scared to fly her back to the UK. But the plane was like a private jet with an amazing team, which included a neonatal doctor, nurse and two pilots.

“I was so petrified, but it was like a military operation.”

Kim and Eva arrived at Leeds Bradford Airport on November 27, where a bed was waiting for them at St James Hospital.

Harrogate Hospital

After a nine-day stay, when Ava turned 34 weeks, they were transferred to Harrogate District Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit.

Kim, who said she was extremely thankful to all the midwives, doctors and nurses, said:

“We came out on December 21 just before Christmas, which was lovely. To be honest, I think I was still on adrenaline, as I somehow cooked a massive Christmas dinner.”

Last weekend Ava Lottie Grace was christened at Woodlands Methodist Church, on Wetherby Road, in Harrogate.

Connor, Kim and Ava at the christening in Harrogate.

Kim said:

“I’m absolutely loving motherhood and getting stuck in, despite a scary start.”

More awareness

Kim is now calling for more awareness for premature births and would eventually like to see more support and information provided to mums.

She said:

“You don’t think you are going to give birth to a premature baby, but when you do there are things you have no idea about.

“Ava has two ages, she is 6-and-a-half months old, but actually she should be three-and-a-half months. So her milestones are different.

“It’s hard, because I’m going down that route of knowing when to start the weaning process. There is information out there, but it’s still so new.

“Babies are surviving more now thanks to medical advancements, so I feel like there needs to be more out there.

“No matter how small any change in your body is, you should get it checked out. Even if it’s considered normal in pregnancy.

“I kept looking things up, so in hindsight I think I knew something wasn’t quite right. But as it was my first baby and the midwife didn’t seem concerned, I didn’t think anything of it.”

Kim and Ava.

Dr Hugh Larkin, a retired cardiologist and consultant in acute medicine at Harrogate District Hospital for 39 years, has died.

Dr Larkin, who was 78, died on April 1 following a battle with cancer. He leaves behind wife Lynn, children Hugh, Philip, Samantha, Nicola and Tristan and grandson, Hugh.

He joined the cardiology department at the hospital in 1983 and worked through the pandemic until his retirement in January 2021.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), said:

“Dr Larkin was one of our longest serving consultants, joining HDFT in 1983 and working with us during the covid pandemic where he returned to support his colleagues and patients at a time of great need.

“He was a kind, caring and talented doctor who was highly respected by colleagues and patients and he will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this very sad time.”

Born in 1943, Dr Larkin grew up in Glasgow, joining the navy at 16 years old and before studying Medicine at the University of Glasgow.

On graduation in 1974, Dr Larkin became a resident at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary before working at the Western Infirmary and Sydney’s North Shore Hospital.

Dr David Earl, deputy medical director at HDFT said:

“Hugh was a gentle and kind man. He was a wonderful teacher, who was respected as a colleague and friend, and most importantly by the population of Harrogate itself.”

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Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager at HDFT said:

“Hugh was an amazing person and highly thought of by so many people.  He saved so many lives – including my own father. His passing is such a sad loss, but his legacy will live on not only with the funds raised in his memory, but also through the difference he made to so many people’s lives.”

The Larkin family said in a statement:

“Hugh was a cherished husband and loving father; he was a family man in the truest sense of the word and was happiest when surrounded by his wife and children.

“As a family, we knew how much his work meant to him and we were incredibly proud of everything he did as a doctor. We hope his legacy in cardiology, as well as the positive impact he had on the lives of the people of Harrogate, lives on.”

Dr Larkin’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 19 April at 12pm at Our Lady Immaculate and St Robert’s Catholic Church in Harrogate.

Dr Larkin’s family have asked for donations in his memory to go to the cardiology department at Harrogate District Hospital via a dedicated donation page at https://hhcc.co.uk/hhcc-post/in-memory-of-dr-hugh-larkin/

Health managers are warning of waiting times of up to 12 hours at Harrogate District Hospital’s emergency department.

West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, which is a partnership of six hospital trusts including Harrogate, has urged patients to only attend the department for life-threatening injury or illness.

Hospital officials have warned that some patients are waiting as long as 12 hours for treatment.

Latest figures show that Harrogate District Hospital had 4,595 attendances to its emergency department in February 2022.

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

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According to NHS England figures, 65% of patients were seen within that time at Harrogate hospital.

Dr Andrew Lockey, consultant physician in emergency medicine with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which is one of the six trusts that belong to West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, said: 

“It’s really important that people only come to an accident and emergency department if they really need to. Our hospitals are extremely busy, and people are having to wait a long time to be seen.

“Over the past two weeks we’ve faced huge challenges with the sharp uplift in the number of people attending accident and emergency. This places additional pressure on our teams who are responsible for treating patients with serious and life-threatening conditions.

“If you are unwell and are unsure which healthcare service you need, call NHS 111. A highly-trained clinical advisor will direct you to the most appropriate service.”

An inquest into the death of a Harrogate woman has concluded that no single factor contributed to her taking her life.

Sarah Tatlow, 57, died at home on March 26 last year. At the time of her death she was undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of cervical cancer.

The two-day inquest in Northallerton, which ended today, heard Ms Tatlow’s husband, Julian Tatlow, question the actions of her doctors in the months leading to her death.

Mr Tatlow said his wife only became fully aware of her “poor prognosis” when a letter was sent days before her death.

The letter was written by Dr Isa Edhem, a consultant urological surgeon at Harrogate District Hospital, to Ms Tatlow’s GP practice. Mr Tatlow described the letter as “cold and insincere” and said it contained details not made clear to them during their consultation with Dr Edhem.

Harrogate District Hospital.

Mr Tatlow questioned members of his wife’s care team during the inquest, asking if they had made it clear to her how aggressive her cancer was. The doctors said they were sure Ms Tatlow knew her cancer was aggressive.

The coroner, Oliver Longstaff, said he took Mr Tatlow’s arguments into consideration but that there was no evidence the letter had a direct link to Ms Tatlow’s death.

Mr Longstaff concluded:

“Since it’s not known when that clinical letter arrived and indeed whether she had seen it, it is inappropriate for me to consider that a direct causal link can be found.

“Even if the letter arrived on March 26 and even if she had taken in the content, is there evidence this letter provoked her suicide over other factors?

“She was facing drastic surgery. I find it unrealistic to single out one factor only and say one was a trigger to this tragedy.”

He concluded the death was due to suicide and there was a clear link to her cancer.

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Hospital action plan

Mr Longstaff then read out an action plan written by Dr David Earl, on behalf of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, setting out a number of recommendations the hospital had put into place following Ms Tatlow’s death.

These included a protocol whereby, rather than sending letters to a patient’s GP, they are sent directly to the patient, explaining their prognosis and management plan. This is due to be rolled out across all departments by autumn this year.

It also suggested doctors would be more proactive with referrals to the cancer clinical psychology team if patients are struggling to cope.

Mr Longstaff said the trust’s action plan meant there was no need for him to write to the trust outlining his own recommendations.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said in a statement afterwards:

“We would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sarah Tatlow, and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”

Harrogate care home managers have warned the staffing crisis is only getting worse and that it will inevitably cause more bed blocking problems for the NHS.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, described the current situation as “dire” and said she has “never known it as bad as this”.

She said:

“The sector is desperately short of care staff.

“At Harrogate Neighbours we can’t increase our packages for home care and we are struggling to keep our care home above water, with staff having to work extra time to cover spare shifts.”

Susie Harrison, manager at Highgate Park care home and chair of Harrogate and District Registered Managers Network, also said the staff shortages were the “underlying cause” of delays in discharging hospital patients into care homes.

She said: 

“Care homes can’t take any more residents because they don’t have the staff and this means people end up stuck in hospital – that is the reality of the situation.”

Hospital can’t discharge patients

Harrogate District Hospital has confirmed it currently has around 40 patients who no longer require hospital care but can’t be discharged because they do not have a suitable location to continue their recovery.

This latest figure comes after the hospital recently warned it was “very full” and that this was having an impact on waiting times.

As well as the social care staffing shortages, Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said covid is also playing a “big part” in the bed blocking problems.

He said: 

“When care homes have had to close due to covid outbreaks, or the service they provide has been affected due to their staff being unable to work after catching the virus or having to self-isolate, we have been unable to discharge patients into their care.

“We know how being in a more familiar location can aid recovery and we are working closely with our partners in social care to ensure patients who no longer require hospital care are able to be discharged as soon as possible.”

There are currently around 1,000 vacant care jobs across North Yorkshire and a recruitment campaign has been launched by North Yorkshire County Council to try address the shortfall.

Make Care Matter campaign

Make Care Matter aims to change perceptions about working in the sector which has endured a major challenge to attract and retain staff long before the current crisis.

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Since the campaign launched in January, 268 job applications have been progressed, with 197 interviews resulting in 91 job placements.

Senior officials at the county council have said this shows some progress has been made, although they added it will take more than a recruitment campaign to solve the staffing problems.

Richard Webb, corporate director for health and adult services at the county council, said government promises to reform how social care is funded and how much staff are paid will be the key.

He said: 

“We have seen a step-change in the care market since summer 2021, with very tough competition in the labour market, which is having a significant impact on care providers being able to recruit.

“The county council and the NHS have put additional funding into the sector to help sustain services, manage covid-19 and, recently, to support the workforce, including a one-off pay bonus for 16,000 care workers.

“Whilst the council welcomes the government’s proposals for changing how much people pay for care, we also want to see national action to help stabilise care providers and to improve the pay and status of care workers.

“In the meantime, we work closely with our care providers and NHS colleagues to ensure that as many people can go home from hospital as soon as is safe and feasible to do so.”

Hospital bosses in Harrogate have warned that the number of patients requiring treatment for winter infections remain high.

Dr Matt Shepherd, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and consultant in emergency medicine at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said bed occupancy at the hospital remains high at 90%.

The hospital is currently dealing with patients suffering from winter infections, such as flu and coronavirus. Health officials in Harrogate recently urged people to dial 101 if their illness or injury was not serious.

According to the NHS England figures, the hospital is also treating 25 covid patients.

This comes as the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 417 per 100,000 people, with a total of 880 covid cases in the last seven days.

Dr Shepherd said historically, pressures tended to ease during the spring. But this was now uncertain due to coronavirus and the lack of national restrictions.

He said:

“Historically, as we approach spring, the pressures have tended to reduce, however, as we are still dealing with the covid-19 pandemic this is not certain.

“Currently bed occupancy at our hospitals remain high at around 90 percent, a similar figure to February.”

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Dr Shepherd added that the pandemic was also having an effect on waiting lists. He said:

“The covid-19 pandemic certainly impacted on waiting lists for operations and one of our major priorities has been to cut the backlog.  

“The increased number of planned operations that are being performed has meant we have more patients occupying beds following their surgery.”

Dr Shepherd said the hospital also had 40 patients who no longer required care, but cannot be discharged because they do not have a suitable place to return to in order to recover.

Despite the continued pressures from covid, the hospital has since relaxed its visiting restrictions.

However, those visiting the hospital will still be required to wear a mask, sanitise their hands and abide by social distancing.

Dr Shepherd said:

“We are pleased to have recently been able to relax visiting restrictions, but anyone entering our hospitals will still need to wear a mask, ensure they sanitise their hands and maintain social distancing.  

“Following these protocols will help us to protect our patients, but also our staff. Reducing the risk of our staff catching covid-19 will help us to maintain appropriate staffing levels so our patients’ care is not disrupted.”

Sir Robert Ogden, the self-made businessman and philanthropist who opened a cancer centre at Harrogate District Hospital, has died aged 86.

Sir Robert made his fortune in the mining, quarrying and building industries and donated to charities, in particular those connected to cancer care.

He was also a leading racehorse owner and co-owned See More Business, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

Born in Wibsey, Bradford, in January 1936, Sir Robert was the eldest of six children. His father Albert was a master builder.

He lived in Sicklinghall, near Wetherby, where he kept his stables.

In 2001, he was awarded a knighthood for his services to charity which included the opening of the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate District Hospital.

The centre was opened in March 2014 and continues to offer cancer treatment and health and wellbeing services to patients today.

We're very sad to hear Sir Robert Ogden has passed away. We're eternally grateful for his generosity – it helped us to establish the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at our hospital. Thank you Sir Robert for your support. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/NwAGA5bBnG

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) March 9, 2022

The hospital said:

“We’re very sad to hear Sir Robert Ogden has passed away. We’re eternally grateful for his generosity — it helped us to establish the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at our hospital.

“Thank you Sir Robert for your support. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs a similar centre in Northallerton opened by Sir Robert, also paid tribute to him.

A spokesperson said:

“Sir Robert was a huge supporter of charities and generously helped improve cancer services in the region.

“We’ll always be grateful for his support. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”

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Successful racehorse owner

As well as charities, Sir Robert was a successful racehorse owner.

His mauve and pink checked silks were carried to victory by horses including Voy Por Ustedes and Exotic Dancer.

He also owned Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Exotic Dancer and top horses over the jumps, including Ad Hoc, Marlborough, Star De Mohaison, Fadalko and Squire Silk.

Former jockey and Gold Cup winning trainer, Jonjo O’Neil, paid tribute to Sir Robert.

He said:

“Very sad to hear that Sir Robert Ogden has passed away.

“We enjoyed some incredible days with Exotic Dancer, notably winning the Lexus and a second in the Gold Cup.

“He was a wonderful gentleman who will be sadly missed. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Sir Robert died peacefully at home on March 6, 2022.

He is survived by his second wife Lady Ana Ogden and his two sons Adam and Robert from his first marriage.

In memory of Sir Robert, a donation page has been set up at the University of Leeds to help support research into brain cancer. You can donate and find more information here.

From Tuesday, the rules for people visiting patients in Harrogate and Ripon’s hospitals will be relaxed following a decline in covid infections.

On December 23, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust tightened visitor restrictions because of the Omicron variant and the subsequent rise in infections. At one point the Harrogate district had the highest covid rate in North Yorkshire.

Visitors were only allowed for patients on end of life care, patients with a learning disability or severe cognitive impairment such as dementia. Parents or carers of children and birthing partners were also permitted.

But from Tuesday, patients can have one visitor, by appointment, between 2-4pm for 30 minutes.  Only two visitors will be allowed in each bay at any one time.

Visitors are asked to book appointments by phone from Monday.

Bookings should be made directly with the ward where a patient is staying.

For Harrogate District Hospital call 01423 885959. For Ripon Community Hospital call 01423 542900 between 10am and 4pm and ask to be put through the relevant ward.

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Also from Tuesday, outpatients will be allowed to have one person accompany them to a hospital appointment.  All visitors will have to wear a mask and sanitise their hands when they arrive.

Harrogate hospital managers warned yesterday that “high numbers of very sick patients” is causing long waiting times.

They added that people with less urgent issues are experiencing long waits.

The news comes weeks after Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust reported that it had reached maximum bed capacity at the start of February due to covid and winter pressures.

In a post on its social media, the trust urged people to call the NHS on 111 unless they had a life-threatening or severe illness or injury.

It said:

“During this week at Harrogate District Hospital we are experiencing high numbers of very sick patients, and due to this the hospital is very full. As a result, patients with less urgent issues may experience longer waiting times than usual.

“This isn’t ideal and we will endeavour to keep waiting times as short as possible. We know that patients can be in pain, stressed or scared, and our dedicated team with do everything they can to help.

“Your health is our utmost priority and all we ask for in return is our staff are treated respectfully and do not have to face verbal or physical abuse as they try to do their job.

“Unless you have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury, we would ask you to contact NHS 111 first.”

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Steve Russell. chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, is to take up a secondment as national director for covid and flu vaccinations at NHS England.

Mr Russell will replace Dr Emily Lawson in a role that could last up to a year.

He will leave the trust for the time being on Friday next week.

Steve Russell

Angela Schofield, chairman of the trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital, said in a statement today:

“Steve’s new role will take him away from HDFT for at least six months and potentially up to a year.

“I know that, while he is looking forward to this new opportunity, he is eager to return to HDFT.

“We are very fortunate to have a strong executive team and board, which has meant we have the resilience in place that has allowed Steve to take up this opportunity.

“While Steve is away we need experienced leadership to maintain our progress and I am delighted to let you know that Jonathan Coulter, who is currently deputy chief executive and our director of finance, will become acting chief executive, and Jordan McKie, our deputy director of finance, will take up the role of acting director of finance.

Jonathan Coulter

Mr Russell announced the move on Twitter this afternoon.

https://twitter.com/steve_r76/status/1494330025524416518

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