Harrogate and District Foundation Trust has been allocated £800,000 for hospital maintenance in a funding announcement from the government.
The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded £600 million across 174 health trusts aimed at tackling critical improvements for hospitals.
It comes as part of a wider £1.5 billion fund announced earlier this year, which also includes plans to modernise mental health facilities, expand A&E capacity and improve infection control ahead of winter.
A total of 1,800 projects have been funded, with six granted funding in Harrogate.
The trust said the funds will help to tackle backlog maintenance work, including upgrades to the hospital’s water and fire systems.
Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF), a subsidiary of the trust which deals with the hospital’s estates, will carry out the work.
Jonathan Coulter, deputy chief executive and director of finance at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and chief executive of HIF, said:
“We’re really pleased to have received these additional funds. They allow us to invest in backlog maintenance and improve the Harrogate District Hospital environment. It is much needed, and very welcome.
“The money is going towards vital upgrades to water systems, fire systems and lifts as well as the resurfacing of the goods yard.”
Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, said:
“Alongside delivering on our manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals and 20 major hospital upgrades across the country, this investment will help our NHS build back better.
“These crucial maintenance projects will deliver immediate benefits and provide NHS staff with the facilities they need to provide world-class care to their patients this winter, helping ensure the NHS is always there for you when you need it.”
In August, the trust also received £527,000 to help increase capacity at Harrogate hospital’s accident and emergency department.
Harrogate district ready for coronavirus vaccine rolloutHealth bosses for the Harrogate district have welcomed news of a coronavirus vaccine and say they are ready to roll it out locally.
The UK is the first western nation to approve a vaccine, which was developed by Pfizer-Biontech and is up to 95% effective.
It poses a major logistical challenge, not only because of the sheer numbers that need the vaccine but also as it needs to be kept at minus 70 degrees Centigrade.
Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for the three North Yorkshire clinical commissioning groups, which commission health products, said at a coronavirus press briefing this morning:
“We are working across the system and planning in real time to take stock of the vaccine as it become available next week.
“I think we should be optimistic and are right to be delighted. We will work through the plans that we have put in place over the last few weeks.
“There are a lot of logistics around it in terms of moving the vaccine around, getting it where it needs to be and then getting people in the right place.”
The briefing did not provide details of how the programme would be administered in the district but the first vaccines are likely to be injected in the main hospitals before Nightingale hospitals and GPs also get involved.
Care homes residents and care home staff are top of the list, followed by people aged over 80 and other healthcare staff.
A total of 800,000 doses are expected to be distributed next week but it is unclear how many will be awarded to each local area.
Ms Bloor spoke at a weekly media briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of organisations that tackle emergencies in the county.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine after a process known as a “rolling review”.
Scientists reviewed the data as it became available in order to approve it as soon as possible.
Dr June Raine, chief executive at the MHRA, said:
31 new positive coronavirus cases in Harrogate district“Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. They save millions of lives worldwide.”
Thirty one new people have tested positive for coronavirus in the district. It brings the total number of people who’ve had covid in the district to 3,381 since the start of the pandemic.
There have been no further reported deaths of patients who tested positive for covid-19 at Harrogate District Hospital.
Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate continues to track below the national average.
Currently, it stands at 203 per 100,000 people compared with the England average of 248.
The weekly covid rate fell below the England average this week for the first time since October.
Covid cases in Harrogate district increase by 57
Fifty seven more people in the district have tested positive for covid-19 according to figures released by Public Health England today.
It brings the total number of people who’ve tested positive for the virus to 3,357 since the pandemic began,
There were no new deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital. Yesterday the NHS released statistics of 2 more deaths at the hospital on November 11.
It takes the total number of covid deaths in the hospital to 93.
Meanwhile, the district’s weekly rate stands at 294 per 100,000 people.
It is the second highest in the county behind Scarborough, which stands at 580.
North Yorkshire is still tracking above the national average. The county has a rate of 311 compared with the England average of 267.
Two further coronavirus deaths at Harrogate hospitalTwo coronavirus deaths have been confirmed on the same day at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.
Both deaths were recorded on November 11. It takes the total number confirmed at the hospital since the start of the pandemic to 93.
It comes as a further 53 coronavirus cases have been tested positive in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England data.
The figure takes the total case number since March up to 3,300.
Meanwhile, the district’s weekly rate stands at 294 per 100,000 people.
It is the second highest in the county behind Scarborough, which stands at 580.
North Yorkshire is still tracking above the national average. The county has a rate of 311 compared with the England average of 267.
Third covid death at Harrogate hospital since second lockdownHarrogate District Hospital has reported a third coronavirus deaths since the start of the second lockdown.
According to NHS England statistics today, the latest death was reported on November 9 and follows two deaths recorded on November 5.
They bring the total number of deaths at the hospital since the start of the pandemic to 91.
The number of covid patients in the hospital has nearly doubled since last week.
Today, county council bosses warned that North Yorkshire faces further restrictions after lockdown if infections are not brought under control.
Currently the county is above the national average for weekly case rates, with 280 cases per 100,000 people.
The England average is 245.
Scarborough’s rate is the highest of the seven North Yorkshire districts at 463, with Harrogate second on 294.
According to Public Health England figures, the Harrogate district recorded a further 64 positive cases in the last 24 hours.
It takes the total number since the start of the pandemic to 3,103.
Meanwhile, it was revealed at a press briefing today that the permanent testing site on Dragon Parade, in Harrogate is testing on average 200 people per day. The number is up on 150 last week.
Covid patients in Harrogate hospital nearly double in a weekThe number of patients being treated for coronavirus in Harrogate District Hospital has nearly doubled in a week.
Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, revealed at a media briefing today 28 people were currently being treated in the hospital – an increase of 13 on last week.
Hospital admissions in North Yorkshire as a whole are increasing sharply and are now approaching the peak of the first wave of the epidemic.
Currently 252 patients are in hospitals run by the three main NHS trusts in North Yorkshire, compared with 302 at the height of the pandemic.
Areas of the county have seen a dramatic increase in cases, with Scarborough reporting a weekly rate of 464 per 100,000 people – more than double last week.
Harrogate district is the next highest on 294 and North Yorkshire as a whole is now above the national average of 245.
Richard Webb, director of adult social care at North Yorkshire County Council, warned there was a risk the county could face tougher restrictions than pre-lockdown when the tier system resumes.
Mr Webb told the press briefing of the North Yorkshire Resilience Forum, a partnership of agencies which responds to emergencies, it was important for people to do “all they can” to tackle the virus in the next three weeks.
He said:
“In two weeks time, the government will receive the data on the impact of the lockdown and we will also be assessing our data.
“As North Yorkshire, we went into the lockdown as tier one and that was the lowest level of alert.
“However, as we see the cases at the moment, we have a real concern that we will face tougher restrictions coming out of the lockdown than we faced going into the lockdown.
“That’s why it is really important that we do all we can together to tackle this virus.”
The England lockdown is due to finish on December 2. The government has said the country will then return to a tier system.
Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at the county council, welcomed the preliminary results of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer that has shown to be 90% effective in preliminary results.
Dr Sargeant said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the results but added there needed to be “long-term behavioural change” to overcome the virus.
Covid cases rise by seventy five in Harrogate districtSeventy five more people have tested positive for coronavirus according to figures published today by Public Health England. There have been no further deaths of covid at Harrogate district hospital.
The total number of cases since the pandemic began now stands at 2,910.
On Thursday, the district reported its record daily case increase with 96 positive tests confirmed.
Health bosses said this week that 24 patients were being treated for coronavirus at Harrogate district hospital and that it is coping with the increased number of patients.
Meanwhile, care home visits will continue in North Yorkshire. The county council restricted visits during October but advised homes they could relax the rules in November to allow one designated visitor for each resident.
Officials have said the measure will continue through lockdown, but homes which report an outbreak will have to restrict visits.
Seventy new positive covid cases in Harrogate districtThe latest figures from Public Health England show there have been 70 new positive covid cases in the past 24 hours.
It brings the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic in the district to 2, 835. In Yorkshire and North East NHS figures published today showed 82 further deaths of people who had tested positive for coronavirus — none were in the Harrogate district.
On Thursday, the district reported its record daily case increase with 96 positive tests confirmed.
Health bosses said this week that 24 patients were being treated for coronavirus at Harrogate district hospital and that it is coping with the increased number of patients.
Meanwhile, care home visits will continue in North Yorkshire. The county council restricted visits during October but advised homes they could relax the rules in November to allow one designated visitor for each resident.
Officials have said the measure will continue through lockdown, but homes which report an outbreak will have to restrict visits.
Forty-six further cases of coronavirus in Harrogate districtLatest Public Health England figures show a further 46 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the district in the last 24 hours.
It takes the total amount of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 2,765.
Yesterday, the district reported its record daily case increase with 96 positive tests confirmed.
The seven day case rate in the district has increased to 269 per 100,000 people and remains above the national average.
Care home visit scheme branded ‘placatory’ by dementia patient’s daughter
Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital has reported another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.
The death was reported on November 5 and takes the total amount of deaths up to 89, according to NHS England figures.
Health bosses said yesterday that 24 patients were being treated for coronavirus at the hospital.