Harrogate district hospital Archives - Page 19 of 49

Harrogate hospital officials ‘confident’ A&E streaming can tackle waiting times

Hospital bosses in Harrogate have said they are confident a new streaming service will help tackle waiting times in A&E.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust revealed in June that it was to spend £900,000 setting up a service to assess patients at its emergency department.

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

Officials have now confirmed that the streaming service will be in full operation seven days a week from November this year.

Hospital bosses have so far been running the service four days a week when staff are available.

While there are no formal figures on how many patients the service has seen in that time, the hospital estimates that up to 50 people a day can be triaged through streaming.

Currently, between 130 and 150 patients attend the hospital’s emergency department daily.

The Stray Ferret asked the hospital whether it was confident that the measure will help to cut down waiting times at A&E.

A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“The streaming model will have a significant impact on waiting times in the ED [emergency department] – ensuring those walk in patients are seen promptly and allowing the sickest patients to have the focus of senior clinicians.”

Waiting time targets

Latest figures show that Harrogate District Hospital had 5,663 attendances to its emergency department in July 2022.

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

According to NHS England figures, 71% of patients were seen within that timeframe at Harrogate hospital.

The move to create an A&E streaming service 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.

Harrogate hospital introduces yellow socks for fall victims

Harrogate District Hospital has started issuing yellow socks to victims of falls.

The scheme, which has been introduced by other hospitals, allows staff and visitors to identify patients who require extra assistance with their mobility.

Under the scheme, if a Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust patient is admitted having previously fallen, they will be automatically given a pair of non-slip yellow socks.

Katie Butterworth, falls specialist and corporate nurse at the trust, said:

“The bright colour of the socks let both staff and visitors know that a patient who is wearing them may need assistance when walking and could be a potential fall risk.

“We would like all staff to see (yellow socks), think (extra assistance) and then act (review falls risk assessment).”

Hospital ‘under greater pressure than winter’ as staff struggle to free up beds

The chief executive of Harrogate hospital has warned it is under greater pressure than in winter as staff struggle to free up beds occupied by covid patients and those waiting for social care.

Jonathan Coulter said the recent rise in covid cases and a lack of available care services meant patients were staying in hospital longer than they should.

He added this was having an impact on A&E waiting times which “remain below the standard we would want”, with over a quarter of patients waiting more than four hours to be seen.

Mr Coulter said in a report:

“We are now in mid-July, and the acute pressures, the bed occupancy, the community services workload are all greater than you would often experience in mid-January.

“During the month of June and into July, we have experienced a significant spike in people in hospital who are covid positive.

“We have currently over 35 people in hospital with covid, and whilst the severity of the illness is reduced due to vaccine uptake, the infection control measures that we have had in place result in flow through the hospital being more difficult.”

Mr Coulter said covid was also having an impact on staffing levels, with around 80 staff currently off work after absences climbed above 130 in June.

He described the pressures on the wider health and care system as “enormous” and said the problem of bed blocking – where patients are medically fit to be discharged from hospital but have no care packages available – needed to be addressed.

He said:

“We continue to have a significant number of patients who are medically fit within hospital, our length of stay has increased, and we have many times more patients in hospital over 14 days and 21 days than we ever had before the pandemic.

“This reflects the pressure in care services out of hospital, and we are discussing across the system how we can reduce this risk.

“We know that if people stay in hospital for a significant time that outcomes deteriorate, and we are currently at risk of worsening care for our population as a result of some of the urgent care pathway pressures being felt across all organisations.”

Mr Coulter added the hospital was continuing to take ambulance patients from outside the Harrogate district and that while this was creating added pressure, it was “absolutely the right response”.

He said:

“Despite the pressures locally, we continue to offer significant support to colleagues in other parts of our system, in particular York Trust.

“During June, in line with previous months, we had numerous ambulances diverted to the Harrogate site, which resulted in on average around 15 additional beds occupied by patients admitted as a result.

“This is absolutely the right response to system support, but we need to recognise the impact upon our colleagues who have to organise and arrange this care.”

More than 130 Harrogate hospital staff absent due to covid in June

More than 130 Harrogate hospital staff were absent due to covid last month.

A report from Jonathan Coulter, acting chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, has revealed that the increase in spread in the community had led to staff being off sick.

The figure peaked at more than 130 in June amid the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Currently, 80 hospital staff are absent due to covid.

Mr Coulter said in a report, which will be presented to the trust board on Wednesday, that the spread of covid has put “additional pressure” on staff.

He added that “a small number of staff” would now be affected due to sick pay changes, as the virus is treated like “any other sickness”.

Mr Coulter said:

“The guidance in respect of sick pay for people off with covid has now changed, and covid sickness is now treated and managed in the same way as any other sickness.

“This will have an impact upon a small number of colleagues who continue to suffer with long covid, and who will now move into our usual sickness management arrangements with the risk that after a defined period of time, their pay is reduced or ultimately ceases altogether.

“We are in dialogue with all colleagues affected by this change, but we need to recognise that this will be a difficult time for some.”

Meanwhile, Mr Coulter confirmed that the trust is currently treating 35 patients who have tested positive for covid.

He added that while the severity of the disease remains low due to vaccine uptake, it has had an impact on flow through the hospital.

He said:

“During the month of June and into July, we have experienced a significant spike in people in hospital who are covid positive.

“We have currently over 35 people in hospital with CoVid, and whilst the severity of the illness is reduced due to vaccine uptake, the infection control measures that we have had in place result in flow through the hospital being more difficult.”

Harrogate hospital records increase in heat-related illnesses

Harrogate District Hospital recorded an increase in heat-related illnesses during this week’s record-breaking temperatures as it also warned of extra pressures from a further rise in covid patients.

The hospital saw a 10% increase in visitors with conditions such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, while covid patient numbers have tripled to 33 since the end of June.

Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said demand on services was “higher than we would typically expect” for summer and that there is “no doubt” much of this was due to the pandemic.

He added:

“Extreme weather, such as heatwaves, also adds additional pressure on hospital services.

“We need to ensure that the people in our care and our staff are not unduly affected by increasing temperatures and we have severe weather plans in place to address any issues.

“Waiting times to be seen during these times can also be longer than usual due to demand.”

Temperatures are easing today after approaching 40 degrees in the district yesterday when North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a ‘major incident’ on the hottest day ever recorded in the county. It said today it had ‘stood down’ this status.

Gosh it was a hot one yesterday! ☀️ As you know we, like most other fire services around the country, declared a major incident due to the level of demand. The good news is we have now stood down this status and have returned to expected levels of demand.

— North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (@NorthYorksFire) July 20, 2022

As well as causing a surge in demand for emergency services, the heatwave also led to cancellations for train services and forced some schools to shut.

The forecast for today is still warm, but cooler on Thursday and Friday with highs of 19C in Harrogate.

Covid pressures

Covid infections and hospital admissions have been creeping up since the end of spring and after the emergence of the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron.

Dr Shepherd said while most patients are not falling seriously ill with the virus, it was still causing pressure for the hospital which is battling long backlogs.

He said:

“Since we emerged from lockdown, our priority has been to reduce the backlog for operations and treatment.

“The increased number of planned operations being performed has added to the pressures, but it has meant we have been able to reduce our waiting lists and no longer have any patients who have been waiting over two years for treatment.”

The Harrogate district’s weekly infection rate has been climbing steadily over the last few months and currently stands at 288 cases per 100,000 people.

The latest figure is up from 52 in May, but well below the previous peak of 1,007 in March.

The increase comes as the government has announced that everyone aged 50 and over will be offered a booster vaccine this autumn to top up their immunity.

Younger people at high risk from covid, as well as health and social care staff, will also get the booster.

Dr Shepherd added:

“Covid vaccinations have been extremely successful in reducing the severity of the virus, however, the highly infectious nature of the new variants is having an impact at our hospital.

“Thankfully, most patients who have tested positive are here for other medical issues or surgical procedures rather than having acute covid symptoms.

“However, in most cases it does mean that their treatment cannot be progressed until they test negative, which increases the time they need to stay in hospital and reduces the number of beds we have available.

“Whilst we are much better prepared at treating covid than we were two years ago, this virus has not gone away and it still has a significant impact on the hospital and is still a threat to people’s health – particularly vulnerable or unvaccinated patients.”

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

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.

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:

closing curtains and windows in rooms facing the sun
turning off unneeded electrical appliances
finding shade outside, which may be cooler than indoors
not leaving anyone, including children, the elderly and animals, inside a closed, parked vehicle
storing medication according to packet instructions
ensuring fridges, freezers and fans are working properly

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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Waiting time targets

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Covid pressures

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Ice creams for hospital patients

Council bin collections to start earlier

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Extra checks on vulnerable residents

Care homes focus on hydration

Schools relax uniform policy

Warning over power supplies

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