Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital have gone on strike today for the first time ever.
A picket line is in place outside the hospital on Lancaster Park Road for the first of two 12-hour strikes called by the Royal College of Nursing.
Surgical nurses, paediatric nurses and accident and emergency nurses were among those taking part in this morning’s industrial action. Some passing vehicles sounded their horns in support of the strikers.
Amanda Brown and Andy Law, RCN officers from Leeds who joined Harrogate nurses on the picket line this morning, told the Stray Ferret the action was necessary because the NHS is “broken”.
Mr Law added the NHS was short of 47,000 nurses — up by 7,000 on a year ago.
Although the strike will disrupt some services for patients, Ms Brown said people requiring urgent care would not be affected:
“We’ve ensured staffing levels are safe.”
Today’s action is the latest wave of industrial action in the Harrogate district. Ambulance workers, rail workers and postal workers have all been on strike this winter.
Pat Cullen, the RCN’s general secretary and chief executive, has warned the strikes could escalate in the weeks ahead if a settlement isn’t reached.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said “unaffordable” pay rises for nurses would prevent investment in the NHS.
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Harrogate hospital ‘almost completely full on a daily basis’
Harrogate District Hospital is ‘almost completely full on a daily basis” and has urged patients’ families to help free beds.
Hospital officials appealed for help today amid growing concerns about the NHS’ ability to cope with winter pressures.
More than a dozen NHS trusts and ambulance services declared critical incidents over the festive period. Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, has said up to 500 people could be dying each week because of delays to emergency care.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident but a spokesman said 50 patients were currently unable to leave because they were waiting to be allocated care or a placement.
This bed-blocking was compounding “significant pressure due to the number of people requiring our help and the challenges of a difficult winter”, the spokesman said.
He added:
“Over bank holidays, our emergency department is usually busier than normal, and this has been the case over the period since Christmas.
“Our hospital is also affected by the high numbers of covid and flu patients we are currently caring for. These patients often require a longer stay in hospital before they can return to care or residential homes.
“This, in addition to around 50 patients who are waiting to have care or a placement allocated so they can leave our hospital, means Harrogate District Hospital is almost completely full on a daily basis.”
The emergency department at Harrogate District Hospital.
The spokesman said this was leading to “long waits for beds to become available” and visitors with less urgent issues experiencing longer waiting times.
He added:
“We do know that when patients are starting to improve and no longer require hospital care, the remainder of their recovery happens much quicker in their own homes.
“We would ask for the families of patients to help us support their loved one’s discharge home as soon as their medical condition allows.
“Some patients may be fit to be discharged to their own home, but still require additional support to help them in their recovery. Our teams will work with patients and their families to support them as best we can.”
The spokesman also appealed to families to show understanding if the hospital had to return care home patients to different care homes for short periods.
He reiterated the message to only visit the emergency department for life-threatening or severe illnesses or injuries.
‘Lessons learned’ after covid patient’s oxygen disconnected at Harrogate hospital, inquest hears
Harrogate hospital has “learned lessons” following the death of a woman who became disconnected from her ventilator when she was left alone in a room with the door closed.
Karen Smith was 44 when, in October 2020, she was admitted to the hospital with covid.
She was put on a temporary intensive care ward that had been set up by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to deal with the high demand of the pandemic.
An inquest heard this week Ms Smith died on the ward after her oxygen mask became disconnected.
The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) oxygen machines used on the ward were not connected to the nurses’ station in the way they were on the established ICU.
When Ms Smith’s mask came off and the tube became disconnected around 5am on Saturday, October 24, although the machine’s alarm sounded, there was no way of it sending a signal to the nurses’ station for a rapid response.
The previous day, the hospital’s infection control team had visited the ward and recommended that the doors to each bay, which had been open, should be closed to help reduce the spread of covid.
Dr David Earl, a consultant in anaesthesia and critical care, told the inquest:
“The doors were closed on that Friday and I don’t think enough work was done to recognise the implications of how that might make nursing quite difficult, because you can’t hear behind the doors.
“This is when things start to go a bit wrong, I think, on that Friday.”
On the Saturday evening, a nurse who was covering a meal break had left Miss Smith’s bay to go to the toilet urgently. She had no way of contacting another nurse to cover for her, but believed the original nurse was about to return from her break.
The inquest heard that, during the pandemic, staff were required to remove extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) and go to a bathroom nearby, rather than the one on the ward, which took much longer than usual.
When the nurse she was covering for returned, the disconnection was noticed and Ms Smith’s mask had been completely removed.
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Dr Earl told the inquest many patients find CPAP masks uncomfortable and can attempt to remove them when slightly disorientated, such as when waking up.
The machine’s log indicated Ms Smith had been without hers for around four-and-a-half minutes. A new mask was immediately brought from the store cupboard nearby.
Staff said they hoped the short time of disconnection meant that Ms Smith would not have been affected by the lack of oxygen supply.
The inquest heard that, although her blood oxygen levels quickly rose again, it became apparent to the team on the next shift that she was more sleepy and less responsive than usual.
That night, as her condition further deteriorated, staff called her mother, but she was not allowed to come into the hospital because of covid restrictions.
Addressing Ms Smith’s mother Audrey and brother John, who were at the inquest, Dr Earl said:
“At the time, we were following national guidelines about visiting.
“As someone who worked through all of this, not having visitors all the time was terrible. On intensive care, we spend a lot of time with families getting to know them. To suddenly not have families there was absolutely awful for us, but we know it was even worse for families like yourselves.
“It we could go back, we would get you straight in when we knew [she was dying]. Now, that’s the national guidelines.”
Ms Smith said her daughter had been well enough the day before to be messaging her friends. However, Dr Earl said given the number of days she had been reliant on the CPAP without any sign of improvement, his experience with covid patients suggested she was more likely than not to have succumbed to the virus in the end.
Walkie-talkies introduced
Dr Earl said the hospital had “learned lessons” from Ms Smith’s death and a number of changes had been implemented to prevent the same situation arising again, including changes to nurse rostering and the introduction of walkie-talkies to allow nurses to communicate with each other even when in separate rooms.
He added:
“We realise we can’t make everything perfect, but we try to list all the things where we think there’s a potential danger there and try to minimise them.
“In this new area, we had one of those risk registers and recognised it was constantly evolving, but in these circumstances, it was the best we could do.”
Delivering a narrative conclusion, senior coroner for North Yorkshire Jonathan Heath said Ms Smith, who lived in Wetherby, had died from a hypoxic brain injury caused by becoming disconnected from her oxygen machine. A secondary cause of death was her high body mass index.
Mr Heath said there was no evidence of how Ms Smith’s mask came to be removed and the tube disconnected, so he did not want to make any assumption.
Mr Heath said:
Harrogate hospital chief will not return from NHS secondment“I am satisfied that a ‘prevention of future deaths’ report is not required.
“Whatever I would be saying to the hospital appears to have been addressed already.”
Steve Russell will not return to his role as Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) chief executive after accepting a national director position with NHS England.
In February, Mr Russell left his role in Harrogate to take up a secondment as national director for covid and flu vaccinations at NHS England.
The secondment was due to last up to a year but he has now been offered a permanent role as director of vaccination and screening.
HDFT chair Sarah Armstrong thanked Mr Russell for his efforts at a HDFT board of directors meeting in Harrogate on Wednesday.
A HDFT spokesperson added:
“We would like to warmly congratulate Steve and wish him every success in the future.
“In the meantime, the current executive team arrangements will continue to operate whilst we consider what the permanent arrangement will be.”
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Mr Russell was appointed chief executive in April 2019 and was in charge of the trust during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also led the organisation during the creation of an NHS Nightingale hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre. The hospital closed last year without treating any Covid-19 patients.
Jonathan Coulter has been working as HDFT chief executive since February and will continue in the role until a permanent appointment is made. He is paid a salary of £181,000.
Mr Coulter is a qualified accountant and has taken on a number of roles at various hospital trusts.
He joined HDFT as finance director in March 2006 and has also worked as deputy chief executive.
Harrogate hospital employs security staff for first timeSecurity staff have been employed for the first time at Harrogate District Hospital in response to a growing number of reports of aggressive and abusive behaviour.
The security officers work overnight, particularly focusing on the accident and emergency department, to offer reassurance to staff.
Speaking at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee today, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We were always reluctant to have our own security service on the hospital site because we felt we were a health service, not anything else. I know other trusts went much more quickly into having dedicated security personnel on site.
“We have in the last six months introduced, between 7pm and 7am overnight, our own security service, which is a bit of a shame that we’ve had to do that, but it was something that made the staff feel safer, particularly in the early hours with the emergency department where Harrogate has never had a problem before, but has had an increasing problem.
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything like we get lots of these incidents, it’s a handful of incidents but they don’t need to happen very often for it to be disturbing and for people to get concerned about it.”
Mr Coulter was responding to a question from Cllr Michael Schofield, who said he had read about an increase in verbal abuse from patients and visitors when they were asked to wear face masks.
Cllr Schofield, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harlow & St George’s division, added:
“I find it quite alarming that staff and volunteers have to deal with this situation.”
Mr Coulter said compliance with mask-wearing was “amazingly” high early in the pandemic and at the beginning of each lockdown, but had dropped since then and some volunteers were being verbally abused for asking people to put on masks.
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Hospital fundraiser extraordinaire Andy Wilkinson steps down after 45 years
A fundraiser who has helped raise more than £2.7m for Harrogate District Hospital has stood down as chairman of a volunteer group.
The Friends of Harrogate Hospital have generated more than £2.7m over the last 56 years to buy thousands of pieces of equipment for the hospital that could not be purchased through the NHS budget.
Wing commander Andy Wilkinson has been an active volunteer with the friends for nearly 45 years, with the majority of years as the group’s chairman.
Mr Wilkinson has been at the heart of everything from coffee mornings to major events like the Big Picnic. He said:
“The generosity of everyone has made it thoroughly enjoyable.
“We’ve done our best to raise money to help people. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing it and I hope it can go on from strength to strength.”
In recent years, the friends have funded relatives’ rooms on the children’s wards so parents of sick children have somewhere to stay, as well as on the intensive therapy unit and the stroke unit.
The group has also paid for a light sensory unit, a friends’ garden, and a paediatric outpatients waiting room.
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One of its biggest campaigns saw it raise £330,000 to house an MRI scanner in 2005. More than 1,000 patients have benefited from that every year since. Mr Wilkinson said:
“We’re a good news organisation. And it brings a boost to the staff, to be supported by local people. They know that everybody is backing them.
“We have a hospital that’s one of the best in the country. That’s down to the generosity of the people of Harrogate who have donated.”
Greatest achievement
Mr Wilkinson said his greatest achievement with the friends was helping to set up a volunteer scheme at the hospital, securing a grant in 2008 to employ someone for three years to recruit volunteers.
He has now passed the reins to new chairman John Fox but will stay on as a volunteer. He said:
“I know that the friends are in good hands, John Fox has been a trustee of the friends before we merged with Harrogate Hospital Community Charity, and has been a very supportive volunteer for many years. John is busy reorganising the voluntary group for the future.”
Mr Fox said:
“We thank Andy for his enduring commitment and dedication to the Friends over many years. He was also a founder governor of the foundation trust. His support for Harrogate hospital is just amazing. I know that the staff have really appreciated his work over many years. He will be a hard act to follow.”
Sarah Armstrong, chair of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:
“We are extremely grateful for all Andy’s fundraising efforts over many years and his commitment to supporting Harrogate Hospital in making a difference for our patients.”
For more information about the Friends of Harrogate Hospital, contact friendsofhdft@gmail.com
Harrogate district nurses vote to strikeNursing staff in the Harrogate district have voted to go on strike over pay and patient safety concerns.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust nurses were among those from many trusts in England that voted to strike, the Royal College of Nursing said today.
A spokesman for the trust said it would be for the union to decide when a strike will take place.
Many of the biggest hospitals in England will see strikes by RCN members but others narrowly missed the legal turnout thresholds to qualify for action.
This is the first statutory ballot on industrial action across the UK in the 106-year history of the RCN.
Industrial action is expected to begin before the end of this year and the RCN’s mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after members finished voting.
Nursing staff were balloted following NHS Agenda for Change pay announcements this year. The RCN said in a statement this left experienced nurses 20 per cent worse off in real-terms compared to ten years earlier.
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RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said:
“Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough. The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.
“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this. While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.”
England Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he “deeply regretted” some union members had voted for action and said the government’s priority was “keeping patients safe during any strikes”. He added:
“The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.”
Harrogate hospital introduces yellow socks for fall victims
Harrogate District Hospital has started issuing yellow socks to victims of falls.
The scheme, which has been introduced by other hospitals, allows staff and visitors to identify patients who require extra assistance with their mobility.
Under the scheme, if a Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust patient is admitted having previously fallen, they will be automatically given a pair of non-slip yellow socks.
Katie Butterworth, falls specialist and corporate nurse at the trust, said:
“The bright colour of the socks let both staff and visitors know that a patient who is wearing them may need assistance when walking and could be a potential fall risk.
“We would like all staff to see (yellow socks), think (extra assistance) and then act (review falls risk assessment).”
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Teams wanted for hospital charity ‘It’s a Knockout’ competition
Back in the 1970s, It’s A Knockout was one of the most popular family game shows on TV – it was essentially a sports day for adults.
Now, Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity (HHCC) is inviting friends, families and work colleagues to take part in its version in June.
Teams of 10 entrants will battle it out on an It’s a Knockout inflatable assault course at Harrogate Railway Athletic Football Club on Sunday, June 5.
An ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ challenge of wacky games will see contestants face water and foam in their quest to be crowned champion.
Community spirit
Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager, said:
“HHCC are so excited to be able to host the Summer Extravaganza and bring people together once again.
“We want to bolster community spirit by creating the opportunity for families, friends and colleagues to meet for a day of summer fun while supporting their local NHS at the same time.”
Members of the community have the chance to rise to the challenge or come and support their team.
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The event forms part of this year’s Summer Extravaganza, which will raise funds for NHS services at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.
It will include a range of shopping stalls, summer game stands, a bar and barbecue.
Entry to It’s A Knockout Game is £30 per person. Participants must be over 16 and each registration includes entry to the Summer Extravaganza.
Challengers can sign up as an individual or as part of a team. Teams will be entered into one of three groups, with limited availability.
Tickets
Tickets for entry to the Summer Extravaganza are available for a donation of £2 for adults and children over the age of five. Children under the age of five go free.
Register for It’s A Knockout or buy tickets by emailing hdft.hhcc@nhs.net or visit the HHCC website.
Covid rate falls from 1,300 to 344 in Harrogate district over last monthLatest figures reveal how dramatically the covid rate of infection has fallen in the Harrogate district over the past month.
Data published by North Yorkshire County Council shows the seven-day rate of infection was 344 per 100,000 people on March 1.
On February 1, when the Omicron variant was rampant, the rate was 1,300 per 100,000 people.
Although the rate continues to fall, there have still been covid-related deaths reported at Harrogate District Hospital.
NHS England figures show that one death was recorded on February 28 and another on February 25.
There have been 232 covid-related deaths at the hospital since the pandemic started almost two years ago.
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From Tuesday, the rules for people visiting patients in Harrogate and Ripon’s hospitals will be relaxed.
Since December 23, visitors have only been allowed for patients on end-of-life care, patients with a learning disability or severe cognitive impairment such as dementia. Visits to parents or carers of children and birthing partners are also permitted.
But from Tuesday, patients can have one visitor, by appointment, between 2pm-4pm for 30 minutes. Only two visitors will be allowed in each bay at any one time.