Residents at a Harrogate care home where rodent droppings were found and rooms smelled of urine have been moved to other homes.
Mary Fisher House was rated inadequate and put into special measures in April by the Care Quality Commission, which regulates health and social care.
The CQC report in April, which was based on an inspection in February, found evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen.
It said some bedrooms smelled of urine, described medicines practices as unsafe and said there were insufficient staff to safely support people.
The four-storey home on Cold Bath Road, which caters for up to 24 residents, relied heavily on agency staff who weren’t properly inducted, it added.
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- Rodent droppings found in kitchen of Harrogate care home
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Claire Harris-Winstanley, manager of the home on Cold Bath Road, confirmed it was closed when the Stray Ferret visited today. However, she said it was not clear yet whether the closure would be permanent and declined to comment further at this stage.
Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for care and support, said in a statement today:
“We have taken swift action to find new accommodation for 12 residents of Mary Fisher House following a decision by the owner to close for refurbishment.
“This situation has arisen following a recent Care Quality Commission inspection of the home, which identified problems which needed attention.
“Since then we have been working alongside NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the home’s owner to try to secure improvements.”
“The owner has decided the best way forwards is to refurbish the premises and to do so without residents in place. As a consequence we are finding alternative accommodation for the 12 residents the county council has responsibility for.
“We understand the situation may be distressing for those involved and we are working diligently to ensure the process causes the minimum disruption to the residents involved. Our absolute priority is the welfare of those affected by this situation and we have been keeping residents, along with their relatives and representatives, fully informed of developments.”
Safety action
One woman, who had a relative at the £600-a-week home until recently, said she was given nine days to find alternative arrangements.
According to the CQC, the home is run by Svivekcaregroup Limited.
The Stray Ferret has tried to contact the provider but has yet to receive a response.
A CQC spokesperson, said:
Motorcyclist seriously injured in Harrogate district crash“The CQC carried out an inspection at Mary Fisher House in Harrogate in February 2022.
“As a result we have taken action to protect the safety and welfare of people living at the home.
“Our legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time. All CQC’s action is open to appeal.”
A motorcyclist is in hospital with serious injuries after a crash in the Harrogate district last night.
The collision, which occurred at the junction of the A61 Harrogate Road and Weeton Lane, involved a black Range Rover and a Yamaha motorcycle.
It occurred at about 7.30pm.
North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and information about the incident.
In a statement this morning it said:
“Unfortunately, the rider of the motorcycle suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and was transferred to hospital where they remain in a stable condition.
“A stretch of Harrogate Road was closed for around two hours in both directions to allow for an initial investigation and vehicle recovery.”
Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision or the events leading up to the collision can email adam.smith@northyorkshire.police.uk, or contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Adam Smith.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12220103906.
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- New pothole machine could be coming to Harrogate district roads
New pothole machine could be coming to Harrogate district roads
A machine that can repair potholes and other road damage in minutes could be coming to the Harrogate district.
Highways engineers are trialing the JCB Pothole Pro, which is said to be able to repair a typical pothole more quickly than conventional methods.
The machine has different heads, which can plane off areas of road surface, chop out sections of carriageway and clear up debris when the repair is complete, providing options to deal with different types of repairs.
Because the processes are automated the risk of health problems caused by hand / arm vibration from using power tools is eliminated.
NYHighways, which is the arm’s-length company responsible for maintaining roads on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, is evaluating the machine in the Hambleton district.
The Stray Ferret asked how much the machines cost, how many the council was thinking of buying and when it would make a decision.
A council spokesman said it had nothing further to add. However, the machines have been widely reported to cost £165,000 each.
Council leader Carl Les (left) watches the machine in operation.
Keane Duncan, the Conservative councillor for Norton who is also the executive member for highways, said in a statement:
“We are putting this machine to the test so we can evaluate how it works in real-world conditions and a decision will be made later on whether NYHighways should add it to their fleet.
“Whatever the outcome, road users can be confident we are always aiming to provide them with the best service possible.”
Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NYHighways, said in a statement:
“The JCB Pothole Pro system is just one innovation we are trialling, with many more planned over the next year in order to find solutions that are the right place, right time, and right price for the county’s roads.”
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- Reservoir parking costs could cause ‘tremendous problems’ on nearby roads
Body found in search for missing Minskip man
A body has been found in the search for a missing 31-year-old from Minskip, near Boroughbridge.
Luke Earnshaw was reported missing after leaving home on Saturday just before 2.30pm.
He was seen walking down Thorndikes Lane towards Staveley.
North Yorkshire Police said the body found today has not been formally identified but is believed to be that of the missing man. His family have been informed.
Posting on a local Facebook group, a family member thanked everyone who had helped in the search for Mr Earnshaw.
She also praised police officers’ support to the family, adding:
“He’s finally at peace after suffering with mental health for many years.”
Read more:
Boy, 11, rescued after falling at Brimham Rocks
An 11-year-old boy had to be rescued after falling at Brimham Rocks.
The young boy was coming down from one of the high rocks near the car park when he fell onto a grassy area on his arms.
Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association was summoned to help the boy. The team stretchered him to an ambulance where he was treated for arm injuries.
One of the association’s volunteers, Derek Hammond, said he thought the boy fell “about three or four metres”, putting his arms out to protect himself as he fell.
The volunteer rescue team were at the the National Trust-owned site near Pateley Bridge for 52 minutes.
Just last month, The Stray Ferret wrote about the latest young boy to fall from the rocks.
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Knaresborough, Pateley and Markington could get new electric vehicle charging points
North Yorkshire County Council is to bid for £2 million worth of funding to install electric vehicle charging points in rural areas.
The proposal comes as the government has launched a £10 million pilot fund to rollout the infrastructure across the country.
The county council’s bid would see 70 charging points installed across the seven districts. It has suggested three areas in the Harrogate district, including Markington, Pateley Bridge and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough.
A submission to government to bid for the funding was backed by Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways, this morning.
Cllr Duncan said:
“We have embraced this opportunity to bring forward the strongest possible proposal within the tight 12-week deadline to benefit rural parts of our county.
“This is a competitive process across the whole of England for a relatively small pilot funding pot, so success is not guaranteed, but this bid is another clear signal of our ambition to improve transport options for people across our large, rural county.”
Read more:
- Harrogate council awards £280,000 electric vehicle contract to London firm
- Locations of 34 electric vehicle charge points revealed
- Harrogate businesses go electric as number of cars licensed doubles
The charging points would be powered by renewable energy, including small-scale hydroelectric generators and solar panels linked to battery storage.
Council officials said the move would help to tackle poor connectivity and opportunities in rural areas of the county.
The bid for funding is supported by district and borough councils and the county council plans to work with NYnet, the council-owned broadband company, and Northern Powergrid on the scheme.
Harrogate Borough Council recently commissioned London company, ConnectedKerb, to install 34 charging points across the district as part of a £280,000 contract.
Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district travel roundupTraffic is moving normally on the roads in the Harrogate district this morning.
However, some cancellations have been reported on bus services.
Here is your Stray Ferret traffic and travel roundup.
Roads
Traffic is running as normal this morning, but drivers should be aware of the usual queueing on Wetherby Road and Knaresborough Road during rush hour.
Construction work on the A661 Harrogate Road is Spofforth is due to end today.
Meanwhile, roadworks are still in place in Knaresborough at the junction between Wetherby Road and York Road which will cause delays this morning.
The works are expected to continue until August 15.
Trains and buses
Train services are running as normal from Harrogate to Leeds and York this morning.
However, commuters should be aware of planned strike action on the railways next week. Industrial action is due to take place over three days from June 21 and will affect Northern services from Harrogate.
Northern is expected to publish a timetable of its services which it will be able to run this week.
Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting some early morning cancellations on the 36 from Leeds to Harrogate at 7.40am and 8.55am.
There is also a cancellation from Harrogate to Leeds at 7.35am.
The bus company is reporting early morning cancellations to the 1A, 1B and 1C services. You can find out more here.
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Police search for missing man last seen in Harrogate
North Yorkshire Police today issued an appeal for information to find a man last seen in Harrogate.
A police statement today said Mark Griffiths has been missing since last week, and friends are concerned about his welfare. It added:
“Mark is described as white, 54 years old with no hair.
“He was last seen in Harrogate town centre wearing all black clothing on Wednesday 8 June.”
If you see him, or know where he is, you can contact the police by calling 101 and quoting reference number 12220100118.
Read more:
- Police launch urgent appeal for missing Minskip man
- Harrogate mourner left ‘distressed’ by rubbish and overgrown grass at Stonefall Cemetery
Traffic and Travel Alert: Road and public transport roundup for the Harrogate district
Roads and trains are running as normal this morning, but there are some early morning bus cancellations.
Here is your Harrogate district traffic and travel roundup.
Roads
This morning, rush hour is expected to bring the usual delays on Wetherby Road and Knaresborough Road.
Maintenance work on Skipton Road today by CityFibre near to Regent Grove is due to continue until June 15.
Meanwhile, roadworks are still in place in Knaresborough at the junction between Wetherby Road and York Road which will cause delays this morning.
The works are expected to continue until August 15.
Trains and buses
Train services are running as normal from Harrogate to Leeds and York this morning.
However, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting some early morning cancellations on the 36 from Leeds to Harrogate at 7.40am, 8.55am and 9.55am.
There is also cancellations from Harrogate to Leeds at 7.35am, 9am and 9.25am.
There are also early morning cancellations to the 1A, 1B and 1C services. You can find out more here.
Read more:
- Harrogate rail campaigner ‘optimistic’ early morning train could be reinstated
- Harrogate district train station parking review a ‘lost opportunity’
Traffic and Travel Alert: Roadworks and traffic update across the Harrogate district
Traffic is moving as normal this morning in the Harrogate district, but some disruption remains in place in Knaresborough.
Here is your traffic roundup.
Roads
Rush hour is expected to bring the usual delays on Wetherby Road and Knaresborough Road.
Those travelling through Spofforth should be aware of roadworks on the A661 Harrogate Road coming into and out of the village.
Planned maintenance work is expected to start on Skipton Road today by CityFibre near to Regent Grove.
Meanwhile, roadworks are still in place in Knaresborough at the junction between Wetherby Road and York Road which will cause delays this morning.
The works are expected to continue until August 15.
Trains and buses
Train services are running as normal from Harrogate to Leeds and York this morning.
However, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting some early morning cancellations on the 36 from Leeds to Harrogate at 7.40am, 8.55am and 9.55am.
There is also cancellations from Harrogate to Leeds at 7.35am, 9am and 9.25am. You can find out more here.
Harrogate Bus Company still has a diversion in place on its 21 service meaning it is unable to reach Ashbourne Road due to a road closure.
The nearest alternative stop is Morrisons in Boroughbridge. This diversion will be in place until June 30.
Read more:
- Harrogate rail campaigner ‘optimistic’ early morning train could be reinstated
- Harrogate district train station parking review a ‘lost opportunity’