Harrogate district suffers record daily covid increase

Eighty-three people in the Harrogate district have tested positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, according to the latest daily figures by Public Health England.

It is the largest daily increase in the district since the pandemic began, beating the 63 infections recorded on October 20.

Today’s figure brings the total number of infections in the district since the start of the pandemic to 2,106.

Speculation is rising that North Yorkshire will enter tier two this week amid the rising number of cases.

The Harrogate district currently has a seven-day rolling average of 203 positive cases per 100,000 people, which despite rising sharply is nevertheless below the England national average of 220.

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According to government figures, the R rate for the district is 1.3.

Harrogate central, Harrogate west and Pannal, Boroughbridge and Marton-cum-Grafton and Killinghall and Hampsthwaite have experienced the highest number of infections in the district in the last seven days.

Ripon has experienced the lowest number.

Harrogate District Hospital has 12 coronavirus patients – three of whom are in intensive care.

 

 

57 more people test positive for coronavirus

A further 57 people in the Harrogate district have tested positive for covid-19, according to figures released today.

It means the district’s total confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic is now 2,106.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, 3,565 further cases were confirmed today, bringing the total for the region to 115,145 since the outbreak began.

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

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Yesterday, the hospital reported the death of a patient who had been diagnosed with coronavirus. The death took place on Sunday, October 25.

The total number of deaths in patients with covid-19 at the hospital since the start of the pandemic stands at 85.

Regionally, 44 deaths were confirmed today in Yorkshire and the Humber, out of a total of 207 across England. The patients were aged between 36 and 101, and all except six of them – aged between 60 and 93 – had known underlying health conditions.

First covid death at Harrogate hospital in three weeks

Harrogate District Hospital has today reported its first coronavirus death in over three weeks.

It is the first covid death at the hospital since September 29 and only the second since July.

It takes the total number of coronavirus deaths at the hospital since the start of the pandemic to 84, according to NHS England figures.

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Yesterday Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said the hospital had 10 covid patients, with one in intensive care.

Ms Bloor added there were 116 coronavirus patients in hospitals across the county, which was well below the level in the early days of the pandemic in spring.

She said:

“We are seeing the number of inpatient admissions with covid increasing, but we are not yet at the levels of hospitalisations that we were back at the beginning and in the middle of April.

“We have currently got 116 people in hospital beds; we had in excess of 300 in early April.

“It is a relatively stable position, although we are seeing a slight upward trend in terms of those numbers.”

Harrogate District Hospital set aside 100 beds for covid patients in preparation for the second wave.

Hospital bosses said last month that they were more confident of coping this time.

Harrogate hospital currently treating 10 coronavirus patients

Harrogate District Hospital currently has 10 coronavirus patients with one in intensive care.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, revealed the figures at a North Yorkshire Resilience Forum press briefing yesterday.

Ms Bloor said there were 116 coronavirus patients in hospitals across the county, which was well below the level in the early days of the pandemic in spring.

She said:

“We are seeing the number of inpatient admissions with covid increasing, but we are not yet at the levels of hospitalisations that we were back at the beginning and in the middle of April.

“We have currently got 116 people in hospital beds; we had in excess of 300 in early April.

“It is a relatively stable position, although we are seeing a slight upward trend in terms of those numbers.”

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She added that accident and emergency and 999 call demand had returned to pre-covid levels.

Harrogate District Hospital set aside 100 beds for covid patients in preparation for the second wave.

Hospital bosses said last month that they were more confident of coping this time.

The number of coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district has increased sharply since the start of September.

However, there has not been a death reported at Harrogate hospital since September 29.

Harrogate hospital to ease restrictions on pregnancy visits

Harrogate District Hospital is set to ease restrictions on pregnancy visits next week.

From Monday October 19, partners will be welcome to attend the consultant antenatal clinic appointments.

The hospital has asked partners to arrive on time and not early so they don’t crowd the waiting area.

Previously, partners have only been allowed to be present at the 20 week scan – and before mid-September were not allowed at any appointments during pregnancy.

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There are still visiting restrictions on midwifery antenatal clinics and drop-in clinics, which the hospital says is out of its control.

A spokesperson for the hospital said:

“We appreciate how difficult it has been for pregnant women attending the consultant clinics in the hospital at Harrogate without their partners. After careful consideration and discussion we have made this plan.”

The home birth service was suspended from August in Harrogate due to increased sickness absence levels in the hospital’s midwifery team.

It will remain suspended until the end of October, for which the hospital has apologised.

Harrogate hospital prepares for winter with 100 coronavirus beds

Harrogate District Hospital has prepared for a second wave of coronavirus this winter by setting aside up to 100 beds for infected patients.

The annual members meeting of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust last night heard the hospital currently has four coronavirus patients.

This is far below the 60 patients at the peak of the pandemic but the trend is heading back in the wrong direction – there were no coronavirus patients at the end of July.

Rising coronavirus cases locally – yesterday’s figure of 19 new infections was the highest daily increase for three weeks – has fuelled fears of a second peak.

But trust bosses are more confident of coping this time.

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Tim Gold, chief operating officer at the trust, said at last night’s meeting:

“We are a long way short of the first peak. We know for winter we will need extra beds. We have a really clear plan to open up wards and create up to 100 coronavirus beds. The most important thing is that we know so much more about managing coronavirus than we did.”

Dr Jackie Andrews, medical director at the trust, added it prepared over summer for the “inevitable” next wave of the pandemic:

“It feels very different this time. That is not to say we are being complacent but with the first wave there will be a lot of confusion and chaos. We needed to learn on the go. But the NHS now has proven treatments which can manage the effect of coronavirus on the body.”

The meeting also revealed the trust is currently spending £1 million a month on staffing, testing and PPE to combat coronavirus.

The government has covered this cost retrospectively and has set aside £24 million for the region from October.

First covid death at Harrogate hospital in two months

The first death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus has been reported at Harrogate District Hospital in 72 days.

The last time a death was recorded at the hospital was July 19th.

It takes the total number of deaths at Harrogate hospital from coronavirus up to 83, according to NHS England figures.

It comes as the number of positive tests for covid in the district since the start of the pandemic passed 1,000 yesterday.

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NHS Spitfire to fly over Harrogate this morning

The NHS Spitfire is due to fly over Harrogate District Hospital at 11.51am this morning.

The aircraft was scheduled to pass over the town last week but its mission was aborted due to bad weather.

With the weather set fair, today’s journey will hopefully go ahead.

The aircraft, which has the words ‘Thank U NHS’ on its undercarriage, has so far raised more than £90,000 from its flypasts for NHS Charities, which is a federation of 250 charities that support the NHS.

Donors can nominate a name to be written on the aircraft’s airframe. There is room for 80,000 names.

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The aircraft was due to have left Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire at 10am today.

From there it was scheduled to fly over hospitals in Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford before arriving in Harrogate and then head on to York, Northallerton, Darlington and Teesside.

Harrogate hospital brings back parking charges

Harrogate District Hospital will reintroduce parking charges for staff, patients and visitors from next week.

Parking has been free at the hospital since the first few weeks of the coronavirus lockdown but charges will apply again next Wednesday.

The government has covered the loss of income for trusts.

The hospital said it has been receiving complaints from patients and visitors struggling to find spaces.

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Staff will not be able to park at the top level of the main car park from next week, reverting back to the arrangements before the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Harrogate District Hospital said:

“We know that this will be unwelcome but we trust you understand the reasons why we are reintroducing parking charges. Parking at hospitals will always be a challenge and there is never going to be one solution that everyone is happy with.”

All on-site staff car parks will be available with a permit at the usual monthly rate.

The GMB Union, which has long campaigned for free parking at hospitals, previously said it would be a disgrace to charge hospital staff to park.

Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, said:

“Our investigation found trusts were charging hard-up NHS staff up to £1,300 a year to park where they work. We persuaded the government to scrap parking charges for all health and social care staff. Now ministers are showing their true colours.”

Mission aborted: No Harrogate hospital NHS Spitfire flypast

Low cloud and poor visibility forced the NHS Spitfire to cancel its flypast over Harrogate District Hospital today.

The aircraft set off from Duxford airfield in Cambridgeshire and was due to pass over the hospital at 10.50am this morning but the weather forced it to change route south of Doncaster.

After returning to Duxford, it was due to set off on a revised schedule over four hospitals. The figure is considerably down on the 27 originally planned.

Thousands of people had been waiting across the country to catch a glimpse of the Spitfire, which has “Thank U NHS” painted under its wings.

NHS Spitfire revised route

A spokesperson for the Aircraft Restoration Company, which is behind the NHS Spitfire, said today:

“The weather has taken an unexpected turn for the worse with low cloud and poor visibility forcing the NHS Spitfire to return to Duxford.”

The hospitals which missed out on a flypast will get to see the aircraft at a yet to be announced date.

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Since July, the NHS Spitfire has raised more than £80,000 for NHS Charities Together, a federation of 250 charities that support the NHS.

The blue spitfire PL983 nicknamed ‘L’ was built for photo reconnaissance in the 1940s and has an interesting history. Lettice Curtis, a famous female pilot, once raced the spitfire, which now carries her name alongside those of the NHS workers.