No deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital for over a week.
According to NHS England figures, the last death was reported on March 16 – eight days ago.
The death toll at the hospital remains at 177.
Yesterday, health bosses revealed that the number of patients being treated at the hospital had fallen to six.
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It comes as seven more covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England data.
It takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,549.
Harrogate district pauses for National Day of ReflectionPeople and organisations across the Harrogate district paused at noon today for the National Day of Reflection.
The day, organised by end of life charity Marie Curie, gave people in the UK the chance to remember the 126,000 covid-related deaths, which include more than 1,100 in North Yorkshire.
Staff at Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital were offered the opportunity to observe a minute’s silence.
Staff at Harrogate District Hospital.
Hospital staff working from home were able to take part online in an event led by chaplains.
The Harrogate Bus Company, owned by Transdev, remembered staff lost during the pandemic, when buses have continued to operate despite risks.
Today at 12noon we’re joining in the 1 minute silence for the #DayOfReflection to support @mariecurieuk.
Your driver will pull over if it is safe – please join us if you are on board.
We're remembering colleagues in the Transdev family who we sadly lost over the past year ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ptvzTxt7cy
— The Harrogate Bus Company (@harrogatebus) March 23, 2021
At a press briefing today Nick Moxon, a resident at Disability Action Yorkshire‘s home on Claro Road in Harrogate and chair of a care home visiting task group set up by North Yorkshire County Council last year, paid tribute to care workers’ efforts during the pandemic.
Speaking at North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which leads the county’s response to covid, he said:
“Staff members don’t ask to work throughout the pandemic, they have to come to work and they have managed to just adapt to the situation.
“Thank you to care staff and North Yorkshire County Council for the care and support over the past year.”
Number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital falls to six
The number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to single figures.
Amanda Bloor, chief accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today just six patients were now being treated at the hospital.
The number was stubbornly high in January and February, peaking at 68 on February 13.
But it has fallen sharply in recent weeks and has now more than halved from 13 last week.
The decline has enabled the hospital to re-open wards that had been allocated to covid patients.
Sixty-nine covid patients are being treated in hospitals serving North Yorkshire, which also includes York, South Tees and Scarborough.
Ms Bloor said:
“We continue to see that downward trend in the numbers. But we do need to continue to follow the national guidance.”
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The drop in numbers comes as covid vaccinations continue to be carried out in the district.
A letter from NHS England to hospital bosses across the country warned of a shortage of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine from next month.
However, Ms Bloor said health officials have been assured by government there will be enough supply to vaccinate all adults over-50 by April 15.
According to latest NHS England figures, 70,138 first doses have been administered in the Harrogate district so far.
Those over-50 and people with underlying health conditions are currently being invited to book a vaccine appointment.
A year of ‘outstanding care’ under immense pressure at Harrogate hospitalToday’s National Day of Reflection marks a year since the start of the first lockdown. Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, writes for the Stray Ferret about how the trust has responded.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of our first national lockdown. This past year has been such a challenge for everyone – not just in the NHS but across our all of our communities. It’s impacted on absolutely everyone in a way that so many of us have never before experienced.
Last week, we also marked the one-year anniversary of our first confirmed inpatient with coronavirus. It’s important we reflect on what our teams have pulled together to deliver since the pandemic began a year ago.
A year on, we have treated just over 800 patients who have suffered with covid. Of those, 600 people have been supported through kind and compassionate care and have been discharged home, but sadly 183 patients lost their lives in the pandemic at our hospitals.
Our community discharge team has supported over 4,500 discharges home during this time, providing the equivalent of 7,000 bed days in patients’ own homes.
Our district nursing services adapted and continued to provide outstanding care to patients in their own homes. They have carried out over 113,000 face-to-face contacts and our specialist care teams have added a further 5,000.
Our 0-19 services (health visiting and school nursing) also had to adapt their ways of working but have continued to support 102,000 children and pregnant mothers during this time. They adjusted the type of support they offer as well as trying to safeguard against increasing levels of risk, which lockdown tragically caused.
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- The Bishop of Ripon writes today about the past year and why she has kept an abiding sense of hope.
- Take a look round harrogate Hospital’s new ICU after its £1 million refurb.
I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of my colleagues across the trust and our partner organisations for their incredible efforts over the past year.
It now feels like an opportunity to look forward. Spring is officially here, the weather is getting warmer, more and more people are having the vaccine and we are easing out of lockdown. We can be really optimistic about getting back to something that more resembles ‘normal’.
That said, we can’t become complacent and we have to bear in mind that covid isn’t just going to disappear.
We will be living in a world where it exists but will be much more manageable. We already know so much more about it than we did at this point last year.
Please, keep following social distancing guidelines, wear a mask, wash your hands. If we’re all still doing this, it’s the quickest route back to doing the lovely things that we really want to do in life.
Harrogate hospital’s intensive care unit completes £1m refurbishmentHarrogate District Hospital’s intensive care unit has completed a £1 million refurbishment.
The 12-week refurbishment has increased capacity, meaning the unit can now care for 11 patients rather than 10, and created a better environment.
Ross Stewart, a patient on the unit for many weeks in 2020 pre-covid, returned today to cut a ribbon before patients were transferred back in.
The unit was stripped down to its shell and rebuilt. Five of the 11 beds now have their own side rooms.
The hospital’s experience of the pandemic shaped the new design. For instance, the side rooms help to contain infections.
The unit has new TVs, flooring, ceilings and doors. Wall cladding and dimmable lights have been installed, and there are wall murals and LED ceiling panels featuring blue skies, clouds and trees in two of the side rooms.
The more open design means nurses can see all the patients from their station.
Daylight, open space and a clean feel are key features of the new design.
The last 12 months have been unprecedented for hospital staff. ICU staff have been caring for numbers never seen before.
Intensive care consultant Dr Sarah Marsh said:
“This has gone above and beyond what we could have expected. It’s not just about surviving it’s about giving that survivorship some quality and the environment in the ICU plays a huge part in that.
“Something as simple as having more natural light and dimmable lights is very important for the patients. The unit will really help to improve patients’ outcomes for sure.”
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The increase in patients due to covid forced the unit to relocate into a larger ward, which presented the opportunity to refurbish the unit without disturbing patients.
The Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity donated some of the funds for the work, which enabled a relatives’ room to offer a pull-down bed for relatives to stay in.
17,000 fewer scans at Harrogate Hospital due to covidHarrogate 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:
Harrogate hospital reports four coronavirus deaths“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.”
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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- Coronavirus vaccine reaches more than 64,000 in Harrogate district
- Calls for an inquiry into Harrogate Nightingale
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 hospitalThe 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:
Twelve new covid cases confirmed in Harrogate district“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.”
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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- Nearly 60,000 receive covid vaccine in Harrogate district
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 hospitalThree 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.
Read more:
- Nearly 60,000 receive covid vaccine in Harrogate district
- Schools open for covid testing as classroom return looms
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.