The number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has increased to a record 64 – bucking the county trend.

Health leaders said today covid patient numbers in North Yorkshire as a whole had declined in the last week.

But the number in Harrogate had increased by 10 from last week’s 54 — which was the previous record high since the start of the pandemic.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing today Harrogate was the only hospital to experience an increase in the last seven days.

She added:

“We are beginning to see a slight drop in the numbers of covid-positive patients in our hospitals.

“But it is worth saying that the number remains significantly higher than the maximum number that we saw in wave one last year.”

A total of 440 patients are currently in North Yorkshire hospitals, which are based in Harrogate, York, Scarborough and South Tees. Fifty of those are in intensive care.

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Last week 504 patients were in hospital with covid.

Ms Bloor added there would not be a rapid reduction in number of admissions to hospital, despite the slight decrease.

She said:

“I don’t think we are going to see a significant and quick drop in the number of admissions. We want to see that consistent, steady decline in numbers.

“Members of the public will help to achieve that by continuing to comply with the guidance.”

David Mattinson, medical registrar on one of Harrogate District Hospital’s covid wards, tweeted last week it had been “exceptionally busy” since Christmas and urged people to stay at home.

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

NHS England figures published today show three deaths were reported yesterday and another on Sunday.

It takes the covid death toll at the hospital since March to 132.

Meanwhile, a further 24 covid infections have been confirmed in the district today by Public Health England.

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The figure takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 6,716.

But, the district’s seven-day rate has risen again to 181 people per 100,000.

The North Yorkshire average stands at 164, while the national rate is 258.

A further death from a patient who tested positive for covid has been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

It takes the total deaths since March to 128. NHS England figures show the death was reported yesterday.

The Harrogate district recorded a further 40 coronavirus cases today, according to Public Health England.

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The figure brings the number of cases across the district since the start of the pandemic to 6,692.

Meanwhile, the seven-day covid rate for the district has increased slightly to 177 people per 100,000.

The North Yorkshire average stands at 164, while the national rate is 266.

A Harrogate woman has set an ambitious fundraising target after seeing first-hand the vital work done by NHS staff to treat patients with covid.

Victoria Read is hoping to raise £10,000 for Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity after her father contracted the virus and spent three months in hospital.

During that time, he was placed in an induced coma and on a ventilator for three weeks, and was so unwell at one stage in early December that his family were called into the hospital.

“They were incredible. We’ve never had to call on the NHS in that way before and to have it at such a horrible time and the scenario we were in was awful.

“We were in awe of their work and passion and patience and resilience. They never gave up on him, so he never gave up.”

Victoria’s dad was finally well enough to be moved onto a recovery ward on Boxing Day and came home last week. Though she said his road to full recovery will be long, she has already set to work on her aim of raising money for the hospital which saved his life.

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So far, she has shared her plans with friends, who have donated more than £1,000 in just a few days. Current restrictions mean she can’t hold a normal fundraising event, but to keep the campaign going and reach her target, she is working on a number of ideas.

The first is “say it without flowers”, asking people to consider donating the money they might usually spend on Valentine’s Day to the charity. With so many people affected by coronavirus, or relying on the NHS to continue supporting them in other ways despite the pandemic, she hopes support will flood in to recognise the dedication of NHS staff. She said:

“We wrote letters and left WhatsApp messages for my dad, and the nurses played them to him and read to him. Although it’s 24-hour nursing care, they aren’t just looking at oxygen levels and things – they’re also caring for him, washing him and brushing his hair and making sure his beard is trimmed. The dignity they gave him was incredible.”

She added:

“It takes something like this for you to really understand covid and respect it. Some people are being very cynical about it. I would never wish this on anyone, but I don’t think you can really understand it until you’ve been through it.”

Having been forced to cancel her wedding before her dad fell ill, Victoria said 2020 was “the worst year” for her family. She hopes starting an ambitious project will help to make 2021 more positive, even with lockdown restrictions.

To donate to Victoria’s campaign, click here.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has fallen below 200 people per 100,000 for the first time this year — but the hospital is now treating a record number of patients.

The infection rate now stands at 189 people per 100,000. It had not been below 200 since December 28.

But the number of patients being treated at Harrogate District Hospital has increased to 57.

The figure is an all-time high since the pandemic started although no further deaths have been reported today at the hospital.

David Mattinson, medical registrar on one of the hospital’s covid wards, tweeted today it had been “exceptionally busy” since Christmas and urged people to stay at home.

David Mattinson, medical registrar on one of the covid wards (centre of the photo), said the hospital has been “exceptionally busy” since Christmas. Picture: Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Health bosses said yesterday hospitals across the county were treating more people than in the first wave.

A further 43 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today by Public Health England. It takes the total number of cases since March to 6,517.

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The government has awarded Harrogate District Hospital £14m to reduce its carbon footprint by 25 per cent.

The funding will be used for a series of initiatives: perhaps the most noticeable to visitors will be the installation of solar panels on the roof to provide more green energy.

An air source heat pump, which extracts heat from the air which can then be used to provide heating and hot water across the site, reducing the consumption of natural gas, will be bought.

Some of the site’s long-standing maintenance issues will also be fixed, including repairing and replacing flat roofs that leak and old windows.

It is hoped the measures will reduce the carbon footprint of the hospital site by 1,100 tonnes per year.

The works will be carried out by the hospital’s estates and facilities subsidiary company, Harrogate Integrated Facilities in partnership with Imtech and its specialist energy performance business, Breathe.

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Harrogate and District NHS Trust said in a statement today the funding would also benefit the local economy because local businesses will be involved.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy awarded the grant from its public sector decarbonisation scheme. Public sector organisations submit bids to the scheme.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate Integrated Facilities, said the grant was “brilliant news for us, everyone who works here and patients who access services here”. He added:

“We have a firm ambition to reduce the carbon footprint of Harrogate District Hospital by as much as possible, and as quickly as possible.”

The hospital already has a 25-year carbon reduction project with the Carbon Energy Fund and Imtech, which it says delivers energy savings of around £680,000 each year.

Gary Parke, managing director of Breathe, said:

“The new energy saving installations will enhance and accelerate the savings our team has delivered over the last few years.

“As well as ensuring further cost and carbon reduction benefits for the trust and a better environment for staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.”

Hospital admissions for people with coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital have hit a record high.

Health bosses said today the hospital currently has 54 covid patients — 10 more than last week.

According to latest government hospital admissions data, which runs up to January 19, the previous high was 48 on January 13.

A total of 504 patients are being treated for covid across North Yorkshire’s hospitals in Harrogate, York, Scarborough and South Tees. Sixty-one are in intensive care.

By comparison, the same hospitals had 302 covid patients at the peak of the first lockdown last year.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, revealed the numbers at a press briefing today by North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents organisations fighting covid.

She said the numbers in hospital were “the highest they have ever been”.

Ms Bloor said the latest figures, including the UK reaching 100,000 covid deaths yesterday, should be a reminder of what the virus can do to communities. She added:

“How much more of a stark message do we need around North Yorkshire and York around the seriousness of the virus and the consequence that it can reek on our communities and our residents.

“Surely those facts alone, if nothing else, should focus everybody’s behaviour now on complying with the guidance.”

Harrogate hospital has suspended some non-emergency surgeries in an effort to free up bed space and staff to deal with patients.

Hospitals across the county have surge plans in place to deal with an increase in covid patients.

A trust spokesperson said the admissions figure given today was down on a few days ago.

Another patient who tested positive for coronavirus has died at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England figures today.

The death, which was reported on Sunday, takes the covid death toll at the hospital to 123.

It comes as more than 100,000 people have died nationally after a further 1,631 were recorded across the UK in today’s daily figures.

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Today also saw a further 29 cases of covid confirmed in the Harrogate district by Public Health England.

It takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 6,421

The district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen again to 228 people per 100,000.

The county-wide average stands at 208, while the England rate is 369.

A further 53 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today.

It brings the total diagnosed with the virus to 6,321 since the start of the pandemic.

The seven-day average rate of infection for the district has risen slightly to 292.9 per 100,000, compared to 284 yesterday.

Meanwhile, the seven-day average for the whole of North Yorkshire is now 273.3. Craven and Selby remain the districts with the highest rate in the county, each at just over 300.

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No further deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital in today’s figures from Public Health England.

The latest figures show the hospital is currently treating 44 inpatients with covid.

A further 45 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

It takes the number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 6,268.

One more death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus has been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

The death was recorded on January 20, according to NHS England figures, and takes the total number since March up to 122.

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Meanwhile, the seven-day covid rate in the district has fallen to 284 cases per 100,000 people.

The county-wide rate is 257 and the national average 434.