Number of North Yorkshire covid patients falls, with eight in Harrogate

The number of covid patients in hospitals in North Yorkshire has fallen, with eight currently being treated in Harrogate.

Across hospitals which serve the county there are 131 patients now receiving treatment for coronavirus, a drop of five but the number in intensive care is up by six to 22.

There are eight covid patients in Harrogate District Hospital – a fall from nine last week.

Meanwhile, 27 are being treated in York and 89 in South Tees.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer of the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today that vaccinations remained open to those aged between 18 to 29 and urged people to come forward.

She said: 

“Data suggest that around 70 per cent of people in this age range across North Yorkshire and York have had one dose and 24 per cent have had their second dose.

“Vaccinations are available for all adults through pre-booked and walk-in appointments, and we are encouraging everyone to take up the offer.

“The vaccination remains a personal choice and while we can make accessing the vaccination as easy as possible, we may find that some people opt not to take up the offer.”

Harrogate’s coronavirus infection rate per 100,000 people now stands at 247 – a drop from a high of 534 last month.

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Meanwhile, Louise Wallace, the county’s director of public health, said that despite the drop the figures were still high.

She added: 

“The decline in cases is always good news and it is encouraging, but it is probably too soon to say if this is a downward and sustained trend.

“So we keep a real close eye on the case rates to see what is happening.

“Just remember that when [cases rates are above] 200 it is still relatively high, which is why I just want to urge everybody to take care and take things slowly.

“We do need to see whether this is absolutely a continued and sustained trend before we change any of our behaviours.”

Daily Harrogate district covid infections lowest since June

Just 45 covid infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district — the lowest 24-hour figure since June 26.

Today’s data, from Public Health England, reduces the district’s seven-day average rate of infection to 260 per 100,000 people.

The rate peaked at 534 on July 18 and has more than halved in the fortnight since.

The current rates for England and North Yorkshire are 291 and 260 respectively.

Harrogate West and Pannal has had the most infections in the district in the last seven days, with 42, followed by Ripon South and East with 35.

At the other end of the scale Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has had just 12 cases.

There has not been a covid-related death at Harrogate District Hospital for almost four months now.

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100 new covid cases reported in Harrogate district today

A total of 100 covid infections have been reported in the Harrogate district today, according to latest Public Health England figures.

However, no covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital in more than three months and hospitalisations remain low at just three.

NHS England figures show that the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

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The district’s seven-day average infection rate now stands at 532 cases per 100,000 people, which is the same average as England. The North Yorkshire average is 585.

Ripon south and east remains the covid hotspot, with 83 infections recorded in the last seven days. Central Harrogate, with 53, is the next highest.

 

Harrogate hospital covid patients increase as infections soar

The number of covid patients in Harrogate District Hospital has increased, as case numbers reach their highest levels since January.

A covid press briefing today heard there are now 80 covid patients in hospitals in North Yorkshire, up from 47 seven days ago.

In Harrogate, the number of patients being treated stands at five, compared with two last week.

North Yorkshire’s seven-day infection rate is now 355 per 100,000 people and there have been more than 2,000 new infections since this time last week. The figure for the Harrogate district is even higher at 410.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s accountable officer, told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today that hospital numbers had not reached the levels of previous waves.

She said: 

“The last time that the infection rate across North Yorkshire and York was at 300 per 100,000 population, and it is slightly higher than that now, was back in late January and at that point there were over 400 patients in hospital beds across North Yorkshire.

“So whilst we can see that the numbers are increasing they are not at the height of the numbers that they were back in January when the vaccine program was at its very early stage.”

Ms Bloor said those being admitted to hospital in North Yorkshire tended to be younger than in previous waves and were mainly among those who had not yet taken up the offer of a vaccine.

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She said the vaccine was making a difference to the numbers of people being admitted to hospital but warned that people should continue to be careful when restrictions are lifted on Monday.

Mrs Bloor said: 

“Whilst the rules are changing as we move towards next Monday we all still have the power to ensure that the behaviours that we exhibit help prevent the spread of infections, to help stop other people becoming infected and help protect yourself and your families and I would encourage everyone to make responsible choices as we emerge from the final stage of lockdown next week.”

At the same meeting Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, said that the rise in the number of covid cases tended to be concentrated in those under the age of 35 but that they were now starting to see increases in older people also.

She encouraged people to continue to keep taking precautions even after restrictions are lifted.

Ms Wallace said: 

“We are going to take the next step to stage four on the roadmap and it is about living with covid and I urge people to think of the combination of things that we can all do to protect ourselves, our friends, our families and communities.

“Whilst it is now the summer and we are enjoying meeting up and doing things that we could not do a few months ago there are things that we should all do to respect and protect each other.

“This includes meeting in well ventilated areas, where possible outdoors or with windows open if we are indoors.

“Wear face coverings when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet or in an enclosed or crowded space.”

No covid deaths at Harrogate hospital for three months

No covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital for three months.

According to NHS England figures, the last death from a patient who tested positive for covid was on April 11.

It means the death toll at the hospital since last March remains at 179.

Meanwhile, a further 98 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

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It takes the total number of cases in the district since last March to 9,516.

The district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has increased to 406 people per 100,000 — the highest in North Yorkshire.

The North Yorkshire average is 343 and the England rate is 323.

A total of 218,303 vaccinations have been given in the district, according to Public Health England statistics.

The number includes 120,348 people receiving a first dose and 97,955 second doses.

Hospital bosses ‘disappointed’ after highly critical e-mail circulated

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has said it is “disappointed” after an anonymous e-mail was circulated criticising chief executive Steve Russell’s leadership.

A highly critical e-mail has been circulated to non-executive directors at the trust, the chair of HDFT, Angela Schofield, the Care Quality Commission and to the media.

The e-mail, which is anonymous, makes unsubstantiated allegations against Mr Russell and accuses him of being at the centre of a culture of fear at the hospital.

The sender of the e-mail said it had been circulated as there was “no other way to safely surface” the concerns and that it was sent anonymously because of an alleged “fear of reprisal”.

It goes on to say that staff and senior leaders at the hospital are scared to speak up and the reason for the e-mail was a result of “two years of sustained and escalating behaviour”.

It says:

“We are scared. They are scared. We are worried. They are worried. We/they cannot speak up openly even with our internal routes available.”

The Stray Ferret tried to reach out to the anonymous sender, but received a bounce back e-mail.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Russell and Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, a spokesperson said in response:

“It’s disappointing that someone feels this way and has written what they have. We are proud that colleagues across the Trust provide high quality patient care and embody our Trust values.

“There are ways to raise concerns, including anonymously, both within the Trust and with external regulatory bodies, and we provide information and support for colleagues to do that wherever appropriate.”

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The trust appointed consultancy firm Deloitte to carry out a review into the trust’s culture and leadership in August 2019.

It included Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF), a subsidiary which runs the hospital’s estates.

The results of the review was published in a report last year.

The review found that staff view both the board of directors and executive, which includes Mr Russell, positively, with management being “frequently described as an open and inclusive team”.

However, the report found concerns over the hospital’s estates department.

Following interviews with 52 members of staff and 63 surveys, the report found “widespread concerns” over bullying, leadership and poor recruitment practice at HIF.

Behaviour cited in a report included defacing tools or belongings with offensive graffiti, collectively ignoring or ostracising people and damaging belongings of individuals, including gluing of equipment or lockers.

After the review, the hospital board agreed to launch an investigation which will be carried out by an external body into reported bullying and poor recruitment practice in the department.

North Yorkshire covid patients doubles — but Harrogate falls to just two

The amount of covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals has more than doubled in the last week — but the number in Harrogate hospital has fallen to just two.

A covid press briefing today heard 47 people are being treated in hospitals in the county, up from 22 seven days ago, with six people in intensive care.

Just two are in Harrogate District Hospital, compared with four last week.

Fifteen patients are in York Hospital and 30 are in South Tees.

Senior health managers say hospitalisations around the county remain down on the numbers seen earlier this year.

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Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s accountable officer told North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum that in January more than 400 coronavirus patients were in hospital in the region.

She said: 

“The number of positive cases in North Yorkshire and York is rising.

“However, the number of patients in hospital with covid has remained relatively low at 47.

“If we compare previous months, the last time that the infection rates across North Yorkshire and York was at 300 per 100,000 population was in late January of this year and at the same point in time there were over 400 patients in hospital beds in North Yorkshire, so you can see the difference.

“This does give us confidence that the vaccination program is having the anticipated impact around reducing the risk of death and reducing serious illness, especially where those people have received both doses of the vaccine.”

Ms Bloor encouraged anyone who has not yet received a dose of the coronavirus vaccine to get one.

She added that a pop-up vaccination centre would be open in Scarborough’s Brunswick Shopping Centre on Saturday between 9am and 3pm.

North Yorkshire’s coronavirus rate has risen to 259 infections per 100,000 people with 1,600 new cases in the last week.

The Harrogate district’s figure of 321 is the highest in the county.

Racism more common in Harrogate than many think, says hospital chief executive

The man in charge of Harrogate District Hospital has said racist abuse isn’t as uncommon in the town as many people think.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, was abused in the town centre following England’s 2-0 defeat of Germany on Tuesday.

A woman told him she was “proud to be white and British because we’re better than people like you”.

Mr Russell, who was born in Leeds, grew up in Sheffield and lived in London before moving to Harrogate, said he didn’t think racism was any more prevalent here than other places he lived but added:

“There’s probably a perception that stuff like this doesn’t happen in Harrogate because it’s a nice place, but it does.

“The reason I tweeted about it is because sadly this is something that happens more frequently than people think.

“People have been very kind in their comments in response to what happened. But many were surprised it happened and I’m not. If you talk to other people from ethnic minorities they probably wouldn’t be surprised either.”

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Mr Russell, who is in charge of more than 2,000 staff at the trust, was born in the United Kingdom to parents from India and was then adopted.

He said he was “as British as anyone else” but nevertheless experienced childhood racism frequently and although it became less common during his university years and beyond things had “got worse in recent years”.

Racism needs “calling out”

Asked what could be done to prevent it, he said it required people to be “good allies” and to call out racism while not putting themselves at risk of attack.

He admits he was more shaken than he realised by Tuesday’s incident, which happened close to the Odeon cinema. He recalls:

“I was walking home, minding my own business. There were lots of people in town celebrating, which was lovely.

“The woman said it to me just as I was walking past.

“In the moment I was just taken aback. I just put my head down and speeded up walking. It was only when I got in my flat I realised I was quite shaken by it.”

Mr Russell’s tweet has received almost 4,000 likes and has been shared a thousand times. He said:

“I’m really surprised by the number of people who have interacted with it. My tweets are not normally very exciting. They’re usually about what great work my team have done or about my cat!”

Nice. Just walked home in Harrogate. People celebrating the #EnglandvGermany win and a woman slurred ‘I’m proud to be white and British because we’re better than people like you’ at me.

Charming.

— #hellomynameis Steve (he/him) 💙 (@steve_r76) June 29, 2021

75 covid cases in Harrogate district but hospitalisations fall

Another 75 covid infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district in the past 24 hours, according to Public Health England.

It is almost double yesterday’s figure of 42 and is the highest daily figure since January 13, when there were 86 infections.

However, separate figures released today by NHS England show the spike in infections is not leading to an increase in hospitalisations. There are currently two covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital – down from three last week, which suggests the vaccination programme is working.

The Harrogate district data reflects the national picture where cases have risen by almost 70% in a week but deaths have increased by just 11% and hospitalisations by 6%.

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The current seven-day rate of infection in the district is 173, slightly above the England rate of 172.

There have been no further covid-related deaths at Harrogate District Hospital. It means the death toll remains at 179.

Number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital falls to two

The number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to two, despite a sharp rise in infections in the district.

In a sign that the vaccination programme is working, Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group told North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today there are now fewer covid patients at the hospital than last week, when there were three.

The number of cases of the Delta variant in the Harrogate district has nearly quadrupled in the last two weeks. The district’s seven-day rate of infection is now 155 per 100,000, just below the England average of 159.

Despite the steep rise, the hospital has not faced the same pressures as in previous waves. At the peak in February, there were 68 covid patients at Harrogate hospital.

According to the latest NHS England figures, the hospital’s last covid-related death was reported on April 11.

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Ms Bloor also said today that Ripon racecourse vaccination site, which opened in February, is due to close in August.

The closure of the Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination centre in Harrogate this month has seen many people travel to Leeds, York or Bradford for jabs, although there are pharmacy sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge.

Ms Bloor said pop-up vaccination sites could open in the district this year.

She said:

“We want to be able to flex the programme as sites and vaccines allow.”