Most Harrogate hospital operations to go ahead on Monday

The majority of planned operations at Harrogate District Hospital are set to go ahead on Monday.

Staff at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust have been contacting patients after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was made an official bank holiday.

The trust said that of 35 operations due to go ahead on Monday, 33 were still due to proceed.

Two non-urgent operations have been cancelled. The hospital said one was rescheduled on request of the patient.

The trust said in a statement:

“We are working hard to deliver as many of the appointments and operations that have been booked to take place on Monday, September 19, as possible.

“By the end of this week, we will contact anyone who has an appointment, endoscopy or operation on that date to let them know if it is going ahead as planned or not.

“We would ask anyone who might be affected to please wait for the call from out teams.”

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It comes as hospitals across the country have been told to contact patients ahead of the bank holiday to inform them of whether their appointments are going ahead.

In a letter to all English hospital trusts, Dr Ursula Montgomery, director of primary care at NHS England, said:

“For patients with planned appointments that are affected by the bank holiday, please ensure they are informed in advance of any changes by utilising direct patient communications. 

“Where planned appointments are going ahead it is important this is also confirmed with patients.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate private hospital joins forces with Mumsnet

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate has joined forces with parenting website Mumsnet to help women get answers to a range of gynaecology-related problems. 

The partnership gives Mumsnet users the chance to ask women’s health-related questions directly to one of the UK’s leading gynaecologists.

Dr Sujata Gupta is a consultant gynaecologist at Circle Health Group, the healthcare provider that runs the hospital. 

Historically the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological conditions have been challenging, with women often left waiting years for a diagnosis, or in some cases never receiving a clear answer.

Dr Gupta hopes the campaign will empower women to better understand their health.

She said:

“Thousands of women in Yorkshire struggle with the effects of a gynaecological condition and yet often go undiagnosed for years.

“The greatest challenge is often finding the right information, or the feeling of embarrassment that comes suffering with this type of condition.

“This has a dramatic impact on how women engage with healthcare professionals and ultimately prevents them from asking the appropriate questions and getting the diagnosis they need.”

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Event to help businesses become menopause-friendly

Community organisation Mylifepool Harrogate will host an event for businesses to learn more about how to become more menopause-friendly.

It will coincide with World Menopause Day on October 18, which raises awareness of the menopause and the support options available.

The event will take place at Crowne Plaza in Harrogate and promises an evening of “no-nonsense advice” about menopause in the workplace.

Tickets cost £4 and there is a 20% discount on food and drink at the hotel.

For more information on topics covered, and to book, visit here.

Myrings partners with Martin House on Harrogate charity boards

This story is sponsored by Myrings.

Harrogate’s Leading Family Estate Agent Myrings has partnered with Martin House Children’s Hospice to support families with its new charity boards initiative.

Martin House provides hospice care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses free of charge across North, West and East Yorkshire.

To support Martin House, Myrings will donate £10 for every “for sale” or “to let” board in Harrogate and the surrounding villages.

The new charity initiative is starting now so residents will start to see the new Martin House boards popping up soon and it will continue for the foreseeable future.

Gemma Myring, co-founder and director at Myrings, told the Stray Ferret:

“Martin House is a big part of Harrogate and has touched so many lives.

“We simply cannot praise the staff and volunteers enough. The hospice provides selfless dedication and love to those who need it most.

“It has been one of the guiding principles at Myrings from the day we opened our doors to ‘put something back’ into our hometown where we all live and work.

“Myrings has been in the property business for more than 20 years. It’s a long time but not close to the 35 years Martin House has faithfully served our community.”

Myrings has adapted many times over the years, investing heavily into the website and software.

However, the estate agents believes that a welcoming, dedicated and individual service is greatly valued by Yorkshire people so has recently remodelled its offices to allow for a more personal and private client experience.

Please look out for the new Myrings and Martin House boards over the coming months – and call in to see the team for a chat and a coffee soon.

Concerns over exploitation in North Yorkshire as number of young carers rises

Children’s services bosses say a “significantly higher” number of children are coming forward as young carers, partly due to physical and mental health conditions not being treated during the pandemic.

A North Yorkshire County Council meeting heard precise numbers of people aged 18 and under who care for a friend or family member who cannot cope without their support had not been established since the pandemic as the 2021 census data was still being analysed.

However, the meeting was told it was believed the number of young carers had risen sharply since the 2011 census, when 1,107 young carers aged 15 and under were identified in the county, 70 of whom were providing 50 or more hours of care a week.

Some councillors expressed surprise after hearing the 2011 census also identified 2,436 unpaid carers aged 16 to 24, 203 of whom provided 50 or more hours of care a week.

Councillors heard the council’s annual Growing Up In North Yorkshire survey of children would also help establish accurate figures of the rise.

The young people’s scrutiny committee meeting heard to meet its legal duty to provide all carers with an assessment of their needs and put in services to protect their health and wellbeing, the authority was working with numerous bodies, and in particular schools, to identify as many young carers as possible.

Officers said the authority had strengthened a drive to identify young carers, some of whom are reluctant to ask for help for fear of being perceived as weak or facing bullying.

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They said the council’s successful awareness-raising campaign may have contributed to the increase in young carers by removing stigma and instilling a greater willingness among young people to come forward and seek help.

An officer added:

“Coming out of the pandemic we know that some people’s health issues haven’t been addressed or have deteriorated, and particularly we are yet to see the impact on mental health, both for adults and young people.

“We are certainly seeing some impact already on children’s services. I think we will see an increase in the number of carers as a result of the pandemic.”

In response, councillors said children were providing a free service that the authority should be providing instead.

Conservative councillor for Bilton & Nidd Gorge, Paul Haslam, said the young carers were “providing care on the cheap”.

Conservative councillor for Thorp Willoughby, Cliff Lunn added:

“It could be seen that we are merely training them to do the job properly rather than addressing the problem. In the bigger picture we could be seen to be exploiting childhood.”

A senior officer replied that any service could not completely fill the gaps that families, and in some cases young children, provide.

She added:

“I think that’s a really valid point. One of the aspects of the services provided is to make sure the adults who need the care are aware of all the sources of support that they can access, including financial benefits that may help them to pay for care to relieve the carer responsibilities for the child.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate man launches health inequality app

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Harrogate man has launched a new app in Leeds which aims to reduce health inequalities.

The Caterpillar app aims to encourage people to take small steps to improve their’ lifestyles, such as increasing daily steps or making healthy changes to dietary habits.

The app was founded by Paul Baverstock, who lives in Harrogate, and has been hailed by Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan as a “gamechanger”.

It is also backed by two-time Olympic gold medallist and public health advocate, Alistair Brownlee.

Mr Baverstock said:

“We’re using Nobel Prize-winning behavioural science techniques to help people create healthy habits that stick. 

“This isn’t for those who set extreme fitness challenges or track every calorie, it’s for those who might struggle to engage with and make small and important changes in their lives.”

Caterpillar connects to health apps, such as Google Fit and Apple Health, and sets personalised physical activity goals. 

It uses the latest expert information to help people make choices about their dietary habits.

Caterpillar is based at Leeds University and was incubated by the Leeds City Council’s BUILD programme in 2021.

Business groups hold first social

Business members at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate BID social.

Business members at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate BID social.

Harrogate businesses leaders met up for the first Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate BID summer drinks event on Monday night.

Representatives from firms from across the district attended 63rd+1st cocktail bar on Albert Street for the get-together.

It gave business leaders the chance to network with other members.

Chamber of Trade

Chamber of Trade

Harrogate-based care provider receives top inspection ratings

A Harrogate-based care provider has had all three of branches rated “outstanding” by health inspectors.

The Care Quality Commission gave the highest rating for Carefound Home Care and described it as “being a role model to other services”. 

The care provider was founded in Harrogate in 2011 by Oliver Stirk and has branches in Bishop Thornton, Nottingham and Cheshire.

It currently employs more than 130 people.

Oliver Stirk, Managing Director of Carefound Home Care, said:

“It’s an incredible achievement for all of our branches to be rated Outstanding by the CQC and makes us unique in the UK.

“We are so proud of the brilliant people we employ across our teams and this recognition is testament to their compassion, hard work and dedication.”

The company is set to expand its branches to York with a new branch and is also investing in development of the service including in areas such as staff development, digital health monitoring and complex care.

Mr Stirk added:

“We’re incredibly excited as we continue to invest in growing and improving our service at Carefound Home Care, so that we can enable more older people to live a better quality of life at home.”

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Hospital ‘under greater pressure than winter’ as staff struggle to free up beds

The chief executive of Harrogate hospital has warned it is under greater pressure than in winter as staff struggle to free up beds occupied by covid patients and those waiting for social care.

Jonathan Coulter said the recent rise in covid cases and a lack of available care services meant patients were staying in hospital longer than they should.

He added this was having an impact on A&E waiting times which “remain below the standard we would want”, with over a quarter of patients waiting more than four hours to be seen.

Mr Coulter said in a report:

“We are now in mid-July, and the acute pressures, the bed occupancy, the community services workload are all greater than you would often experience in mid-January.

“During the month of June and into July, we have experienced a significant spike in people in hospital who are covid positive.

“We have currently over 35 people in hospital with covid, and whilst the severity of the illness is reduced due to vaccine uptake, the infection control measures that we have had in place result in flow through the hospital being more difficult.”

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Mr Coulter said covid was also having an impact on staffing levels, with around 80 staff currently off work after absences climbed above 130 in June.

He described the pressures on the wider health and care system as “enormous” and said the problem of bed blocking – where patients are medically fit to be discharged from hospital but have no care packages available – needed to be addressed.

He said: 

“We continue to have a significant number of patients who are medically fit within hospital, our length of stay has increased, and we have many times more patients in hospital over 14 days and 21 days than we ever had before the pandemic.

“This reflects the pressure in care services out of hospital, and we are discussing across the system how we can reduce this risk.

“We know that if people stay in hospital for a significant time that outcomes deteriorate, and we are currently at risk of worsening care for our population as a result of some of the urgent care pathway pressures being felt across all organisations.”

Mr Coulter added the hospital was continuing to take ambulance patients from outside the Harrogate district and that while this was creating added pressure, it was “absolutely the right response”.

He said: 

“Despite the pressures locally, we continue to offer significant support to colleagues in other parts of our system, in particular York Trust.

“During June, in line with previous months, we had numerous ambulances diverted to the Harrogate site, which resulted in on average around 15 additional beds occupied by patients admitted as a result.

“This is absolutely the right response to system support, but we need to recognise the impact upon our colleagues who have to organise and arrange this care.”

Mind blowing Harrogate company makes waves in mental health

This story is sponsored by The Brain Collective.

The idea that you can train the brain to tackle emotional issues, behavioural and developmental problems, and slow the decline of early dementia patients is mind blowing.

Prior to meeting the team at The Brain Collective in Harrogate, I had never heard of neurotherapy. So I was amazed to discover that this innovative approach to therapy was available right on my doorstep.

I visited the impressive clinic at Windsor House, on Cornwall Road, to find out how it became the largest Neurotherapy clinic in the UK.

As soon as I walked in, I was made to feel at ease as I sat down for a chat with the company’s founders, Melanie Adeley and Maria Walters.

When I listened to Melanie’s incredible story, it became clear why she embarked on this journey.

Melanie was up night after night with her son, who was suffering badly with epileptic seizures despite medication and required Ritalin for his ADHD.

In desperation, she joined a support website, Epilepsymums.com in America and came across a world-renowned Neurotherapist called Paul Swingle in Canada who offered an alternative therapy for the brain.

After travelling to Vancouver for neurofeedback training over a period of two weeks he was sleeping through the night, with much improved seizure control. Melanie was sold!

After two further visits to Vancouver over the space of two years and a dramatic improvement in her son’ difficulties thanks to the Neurofeedback training, she launched The Brain Collective alongside her good friend and business partner, Maria.

Now part of a team of six, Melanie and Maria have spent the best part of a decade dedicating their lives to helping others by using the revolutionary and rapidly evolving method, which involves regulating and stabilising the brain.

Melanie, who also works as a Consultant Anaesthetist at Harrogate District Hospital, said:

“We set the company up because we were struggling to find good answers for our own children with the traditional medical approach.”

Maria shared a similar experience with her son, a competitive cyclist, who suffered a significant head injury. After taking part in a Neurotherapy programme his post-concussion symptoms dramatically improved.

So, the pair embarked on extensive training in America amongst world leaders in the field before taking it to a professional level, opening the clinic in Windsor House eight-and-a-half years ago.

However, despite the incredible results, which are completely drug-free, Melanie and Maria said many people still haven’t heard of Neurotherapy and Neurofeedback.

Taking a brain map.

Maria said:

“We spend a lot of time talking to our clients about their symptomatic and functional difficulties and then take a QEEG recording to generate brain maps and gain a deeper understanding of the brain.

“The training plan is completely tailored to the individual because our brains are unique, and nobody has had the same set of experiences in life.”

To date they have helped children and adults with brain imbalances including ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, insomnia, long Covid and brain injuries, including concussion and stroke.

They also help healthy people to “train their brains”, including top athletes, who want to reach peak performance. Essentially, anyone has the potential to benefit from neurofeedback training.

“We offer a wide range of different therapy options to supplement the fundamental Neurofeedback approach, some of which can be delivered remotely when appropriate.

“The Neurotherapy approach offers a drug-free, talk-free, safe, and effective therapy which regulates and stabilises brains to improve the quality of life for a wide range of people when other therapies have failed.

“We pride ourselves in developing an effective therapeutic relationship with our clients to support them on their journey.”

“We track our client’s progress throughout therapy to ensure we can evolve the most effective protocol to get the best outcome as efficiently as possible.”

For more information on how the team at The Brain Collective can help you, visit www.thebraincollective.co.uk or give them a call on 01423 565522.

Positive covid patients at Harrogate hospital doubles in three weeks

The number of patients at Harrogate District Hospital who tested positive for covid has more than doubled in three weeks.

Latest figures supplied by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust show 35 covid-positive patients are currently in hospital — a rise from 14 on June 25.

Of that number, six are primarily receiving treatment for covid.

The figure peaked at 42 positive patients on July 5, but has since declined.

Harrogate hospital officials have put the rise in cases down to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Health officials have warned that hospitals are under extreme pressure due to a rise in cases.

West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, which includes Harrogate hospital, said that the increase in cases has meant the availability of beds has been impacted.

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This combined with covid-related staff sickness means patients are also facing delays for planned treatment, officials said.

Dr Phil Wood, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 

“The significant upsurge in covid-19 cases in West Yorkshire and Harrogate means that our hospitals are facing extreme pressures. Our teams are doing everything they can to make sure that services are safe and, in some cases, planned treatment may need to be postponed.

“We are aware that some people have been waiting for planned operations for a very long time and, wherever possible, we will ensure these go ahead as planned.

“Thankfully, the number of very seriously ill people needing treatment in intensive care for covid-19 is very small and accounts for less than two per cent of total inpatient cases. 

“The covid-19 vaccine is very effective at preventing severe disease in those who have been immunised and I’d encourage anyone who has not yet had their vaccine to book an appointment through the NHS.uk website.”

New omicron strain sees Harrogate district covid rate rise

The rate of covid in the Harrogate district has more than doubled since the end of May.

Latest North Yorkshire County Council data shows there are currently 113 positive cases per 100,000 people in the district.

The rate was at as low as 52 cases per 100,000 people on May 30.

Whilst the rate has begun to climb up again for the first time since March, it is still far below the peaks seen in January and April 2022.

Source – North Yorkshire County Council

North Yorkshire County Council public health consultant Dr Victoria Turner said the rise was being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of omicron.

The sub-variants have also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

She said:

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.

“The ways to prevent the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 remain the same as for other covid variants. Meeting outdoors where possible or in well-ventilated areas indoors, wearing a face covering in enclosed or crowded spaces, and good hand and respiratory hygiene will all reduce the risk of transmission.”

Dr Turner said anyone who has tested positive for covid should stay at home for five days.

Covid tests are available to be purchased from pharmacies.

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