17,000 fewer scans at Harrogate Hospital due to covid

Harrogate District Hospital Trust provided over 17,000 fewer scans in the six months after the pandemic began than the six months prior.

The Stray Ferret has found data on the NHS England website to show that 39,348 scans took place between October 2019 and March 2020.

During the six months after coronavirus took hold, April 2020 and September 2020, there were 22,157 scans delivered at the hospital.

That is 17,191 fewer scans.

These numbers include scans delivered at the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate after a referral from the trust. The exact number has not been disclosed.

Coronavirus has had a huge impact on the NHS, with staff working longer hours under difficult conditions.

The district hospital has seen an impact in the number of scans it delivered. Coronavirus meant many appointments were delayed and some patients were left feeling reluctant to go into hospital with health issues.

The hospital said its staff are working hard to re-book appointments.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We are working hard to reschedule appointments and operations impacted by the pandemic for as soon as possible. However, the pandemic means that for many of our patients there will be a delay, and waiting times will be longer.

“We have arrangements in place to risk assess every patient on our waiting lists to ensure we prioritise people on the basis of their clinical need. These decisions are being made by doctors and other clinical colleagues who are following national clinical guidelines.

“Colleagues both in hospital and in community services have been absolutely fantastic throughout the pandemic and despite the ongoing challenges, continue to be.”

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The data included 12 scans covering all areas of the body including CT, MRI and Cystoscopy scans. Some of those included in the data are used in cancer diagnosis.

Seven of the 12 scans included in this data can be used for cancer amongst other conditions.

Huge drops in cancer referrals have been reported throughout the pandemic. Cancer Research UK found that 40,000 fewer people started cancer treatment last year.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research and Services at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We know that there has been a reduction in urgent referrals for suspected cancer during the pandemic which is slowly getting back to normal. Early diagnosis of cancer is vitally important. It is easier to treat when caught early.

“We encourage anyone with any worrying symptoms to approach their GP.”

Harrogate hospital reports four coronavirus deaths

Four more patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died at Harrogate District Hospital.

Three of the patients died on Tuesday and the fourth on Wednesday. It takes the hospital’s total number of covid deaths up to 175 since the start of the pandemic, according to NHS data.

The hospital revealed yesterday that it is now caring for 17 coronavirus patients, down from 42 patients the week before.

Since the start of the pandemic it has admitted 800 coronavirus positive patients and discharged 575.

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Government data also released today shows how the Harrogate district has added just nine more coronavirus cases today, taking that total to 7,428 so far.

Cases have been low in recent weeks which means that the seven-day rate has also come down.

The Harrogate district now has a seven-day case rate of 45 per 100,000 population which slightly above the North Yorkshire average of 42.

However, the Harrogate district is below the England average which currently sits at 58 per 100,000.

Dramatic fall in number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital

The number of patients at Harrogate District Hospital with coronavirus has more than halved in a week.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust revealed today the hospital currently has 18 coronavirus patients compared with 42 last week — a reduction of 24.

At its peak, there were 67 people in the hospital with the virus and the number had remained stubbornly high in recent weeks despite the declining covid infection rate locally.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing today the current covid wave had been “long and hard” on hospital staff but that the situation was finally improving.

“The trend is very much in the downward direction and that’s very positive and where we want to see it.”

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Ms Bloor also commented on the Harrogate Nightingale hospital, which NHS England confirmed this week will be decommissioned and returned to Harrogate Borough Council from next month.

She added:

“It’s the right time to stand the Nightingale down but we’re lucky we had it there. 

“Throughout the last year, it’s been a vital insurance policy in our approach to managing covid.

“It also provided a valuable role supporting routine care as well as safe and fast access to CT scanning.”

Twelve new covid cases confirmed in Harrogate district

A further 12 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the Harrogate district in today’s data from the Office for National Statistics.

It brings the total number of confirmed cases in the district to 7,366 since the pandemic began last year.

Meanwhile, the seven-day infection rate for the district remains at 59.7 cases per 100,000 people, having dropped this week to the lowest it has been since September.

It is above the average for North Yorkshire, which is 47.2. Only Richmondshire has a higher rate, at 63.3, with all other districts in the county having a lower rate.

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At Harrogate District Hospital, no further deaths have been reported in patients who tested positive for coronavirus. The total number of people who have died at the hospital since the beginning of the pandemic remains 165.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust confirmed this week it had 42 in-patients who had tested positive for covid, a drop of three from the previous week. It had discharged 20 patients in the same time period, bringing the total number treated and discharged to 554.

The number of vaccinations administered in the district has risen this week to almost 60,000, according to data from the NHS. Across the UK, people aged 56 and above are now being invited to book appointments for the first dose of their vaccines.

Three more covid deaths at Harrogate hospital

Three more patients who tested positive for covid have died at Harrogate District Hospital.

The deaths were reported on March 3, according to NHS England figures.

It takes the death toll at the hospital since the start of the pandemic to 165.

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Currently, 48 patients who tested positive for covid are being treated in Harrogate hospital according to latest Public Health England data.

A further 12 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

it takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,354.

Meanwhile, 58,293 people have had the first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district.

NHS England has started to publish local data with a breakdown of vaccination figures by area and age.

Harrogate District Hospital records another covid death

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another death of a patient who tested positive for covid. It brings the total number of hospital deaths in the district from covid to 160.  The patient’s death was recorded yesterday, February 27.

Across the district another 15 people have tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours. It means 7,295 people have tested positive for covid since the pandemic began.

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The 7 day average rate in Harrogate has fallen to 72.1 per 100,000 – this is compared with an England wide average of 96.4.

This weekend there were queues around the car park when a new vaccine centre opened in Knaresborough.  Depending on supply, the centre can give out 1,200 jabs in a day.

We’d like to thank everyone who has sent us tributes to their loved ones who have died of covid in the past year. We will be publishing them in the week starting March 8. If you have lost a family or friend to the virus and wish them to be remembered publicly then get in touch on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we can tell their story. 

Coronavirus case rates drop but Harrogate records another death

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another coronavirus death but the case rates have dropped even further in the Harrogate district.

The latest death, which happened on Wednesday but was reported today, takes the hospital to 159 coronavirus deaths.

A further 18 people tested positive for the virus in the Harrogate district today. The total number of cases in the district is now up to 7,280.

Cases in the Harrogate district have remained around the 20 mark for much of the last month and even lower in the last week.

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Those dropping numbers of cases has meant that the district’s seven-day case rate is now at 75 per 100,000 people.

That is below the England average of 102 per 100,000 but just above the North Yorkshire average of 72 per 100,000.

It comes as Knaresborough’s vaccine centre opened today. Depending on supply, it can give out 1,200 jabs in a day.

Two further covid deaths at Harrogate hospital

Two more patients who tested positive for covid have died at Harrogate District Hospital.

According to NHS England figures, the deaths were reported yesterday and Tuesday.

It takes the covid death toll at the hospital to 158.

A total of 45 patients are currently being treated for covid at Harrogate hospital, according to trust statistics.

Meanwhile, a further 12 cases of covid have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today.

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It takes the total number of infections to 7,250 since March.

The district’s seven-day average rate of infection stands at 94 people per 100,000.

Elsewhere, the county average stands at 85 and the national rate is 112.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite remains the area in the district with the highest number of infections, with 20 in the past seven days.

Harrogate district records 30 new covid cases

The Harrogate district has recorded a further 30 covid cases today.

According to Public Health England figures, the number takes the total amount of cases since March to 7,238.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has fallen to 88 people per 100,000.

The rate for North Yorkshire stands at 83, while the England average is 116.

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Killinghall and Hampsthwaite remains the area with the most covid cases in the last seven days, with 23 infections.

Boroughbridge and Marton-cum-Grafton is the second highest in the district with 15.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Harrogate hospital coronavirus patients down by 19 in a week

Harrogate District Hospital still has more coronavirus patients than during the peak of the first wave but the number has started to drop sharply.

It was revealed at the weekly North Yorkshire coronavirus media briefing today the hospital had 48 coronavirus patients yesterday. Last week there were 65, only a couple away from the record number of 67.

The hospital is the only one in North Yorkshire treating more patients than during the first wave but the situation appears to be heading in the right direction.

It was also revealed today that one more person died at the hospital after testing positive for coronavirus. The latest death, which happened on Sunday, brings the total to 156.

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The Stray Ferret asked today’s briefing whether public health officials were concerned about the high number of patients shortly before lockdown measures ease.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said in response:

“Last week one of my colleagues reported that the numbers had not come down but they have dropped this week from 67 to 48.

“They are still higher than the first wave so we are keeping an eye on it but in terms of the lockdown easing, that is obviously a national decision.

“But we are pleased that the number of coronavirus patients in Harrogate is starting to come down.”

Public Health England confirmed another 13 covid cases in the Harrogate district today.

The district now has a seven-day rate of infection of 89 people per 100,000, which is just above the North Yorkshire average of 83 but below the England average of 117.