Another covid death as case rates climb in Harrogate districtHarrogate District Hospital has recorded another coronavirus death as case rates in the district continue to climb to new highs.
The patient died on Tuesday last week but the hospital reported the death today. It takes the hospital’s covid-related death total to 192.
As of last Thursday, the hospital was treating 14 covid patients – well below last winter’s peak of 67.
Public Health England said today another 147 people have tested positive for the virus in the Harrogate district.
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Case rates in the Harrogate district are so high that North Yorkshire County Council has called an urgent meeting to discuss them tomorrow.
The district’s seven-day rate is now 733 per 100,000 population, which is far higher than the current England average of 448.
North Yorkshire County Council will host the virtual meeting tomorrow from 10.30am until 11am, when health officials will brief the media on the situation.
Urgent meeting to tackle Harrogate district’s soaring covid ratePublic health officials are to hold an urgent press conference tomorrow to discuss soaring coronavirus rates in the Harrogate district.
The district’s seven-day rate is currently 723 per 100,000 population, which is far higher than the current England average of 436.
North Yorkshire County Council will host the virtual meeting tomorrow from 10.30am until 11am, when health officials will brief the media on the situation.
Richard Webb, the corporate director for health and adult services at the council, has urged people in the Harrogate district to think about hygiene. He said:
“Harrogate currently has amongst the highest levels of coronavirus in England. Please keep safe.
“And yes, wash your hands. Wear your face mask to protect others. Think about space and ventilation.”
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Covid case rates in the Harrogate district have been rising since mid September, when the rate was 372.
However, although the number of cases has risen sharply the number of coronavirus patients at Harrogate District Hospital has not risen in the same manner.
As of last Thursday, the hospital was treating 14 covid patients – well below last winter’s peak of 67.
No further details of tomorrow’s meeting have been made available.
Harrogate district has highest covid rate in YorkshireThe Harrogate district now has the highest covid infection rate in Yorkshire after another rise in cases beyond record levels.
The district’s weekly rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 630, according to the latest Public Health England figures.
The rate is the 19th highest in England and well above the country’s average of 366.
It equates to almost 150 new infections each day. However, hospitalisations and deaths remain stable when compared with previous waves.
As of last Tuesday, there were 13 covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital.
Patient numbers there previously peaked at 67 in January.
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The last time the hospital reported a covid-related death was on September 30 when its toll since the pandemic began reached 189, according to NHS figures.
The Harrogate district’s latest weekly infection rate of 630 cases per 100,000 people is another record for the district, which has seen cases climb steadily since mid-September.
Prior to this period, the previous record was 534 on 18 July.
Speaking recently, Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said the rise in infections in Harrogate and across the county was being “driven by school-age children”.
The latest figures for Harrogate show infections are highest among five to 19-year-olds, although cases among 40 to 49-year-olds are also high.
91 more covid cases in Harrogate district91 positive covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today, according to Public Health England figures.
It means the district’s seven-day case rate has crept back up above 300 to 309 infections per 100,000 people.
It is the second highest rate in North Yorkshire, with Scarborough’s rate of 318 the highest.
The North Yorkshire rate is 270 and the England rate is 264.
The death toll at Harrogate District Hospital from covid-related illnesses since March 2020 remains at 186.
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Harrogate district covid infections down 14% in weekThe Harrogate district has recorded another 56 covid infections, according to today’s Pubic Health England figures.
It takes the total number of infections over the past seven days to 588 — a figure that has fallen by 14% on the previous seven days.
The district’s weekly infection rate has declined to 383 per 100,000 people. The North Yorkshire rate is 318 and the England average stands at 295.
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It was also revealed today that the Knaresborough vaccine clinic is moving to larger premises in the town.
The clinic will relocate to Chain Lane Community Hub from September 27 where it hopes to offer up to 1,500 covid and flu vaccinations a day.
The current site, at the former Lidl, has been in use since February but with winter approaching Homecare Pharmacy Services, which runs the clinic, wanted a larger space where people could wait indoors.
Another 55 coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district
Another 55 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.
The district’s weekly rate stands at 307 per 100,000 people.
The North Yorkshire rate stands at 314 and the England average is 319.
According to the latest figures, Harrogate District Hospital is treating 10 patients for covid.
The hospital has not recorded any covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics. However, two people have recently died at the hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.
Those two deaths followed a four-month period at the hospital when it did not record any coronavirus deaths.
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It means the number of people at the hospital who have died from covid since March 2020 stands at 181.
Elsewhere, 123,908 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 111,694 have had a second dose.
89 more positive covid cases in Harrogate districtAnother 89 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.
The district’s weekly covid rate now stands at 316 infections per 100,000 people. The North Yorkshire rate is 314 and the England average is 330.
Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 10 patients for covid.
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Harrogate hospital has recorded no covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics. However, two people have died at the hospital due to covid since last Wednesday.
It means the death toll at the hospital from covid since March 2020 stands at 181.
A total of 124,017 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 112,000 have had a second dose.
Eighty-seven per cent of adults have had a first jab and 78 per cent have had two jabs.
Ripon woman with gum problems unable to see NHS dentist for two yearsA woman from Ripon suffering with gum problems has not been able to get treatment at a dentist for two years.
Rachael Kimberley is a single mother on a low income so she cannot afford to go private and relies on NHS dentistry.
Her experience comes after a Healthwatch North Yorkshire report found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.
It also comes after an investigation by the Stray Ferret found patients in the district face a minimum wait of two and a half years to register for an NHS dentist.
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Ms Kimberley has been registered with the same practice on for the last 40 years but told the Stray Ferret that she has struggled since a private provider took over.
She added:
“The provider said that the NHS patients still registered would see no change when they took over the practice.
“I have been suffering with bleeding and receeding gums so I have been trying to go for a check up.
“When I ask to be seen they tell me that I will be seen in ‘due course’ but what does that mean?
“If the problem continues then I fear I will be stumped with a big bill in the hundreds or thousands that I just cannot afford.”
Her story shows the real suffering behind the statistics from the health watchdog. Healthwatch North Yorkshire received 176 calls from the public in the last year about NHS dentists. The vast majority — 84% — were negative.
The health watchdog called in its report for action on the problem and said coronavirus has only acted to exemplify a dental system already under enormous strain and challenge.
Watchdog report: Just one NHS dentist per 10,000 people in Harrogate districtA health watchdog has laid bare the shocking lack of provision of NHS dentists in the Harrogate district in a new report published today.
NHS Dentistry in North Yorkshire: A Review of Public Feedback 2020-2021 found there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the district.
The report, published by Healthwatch North Yorkshire, also revealed that no Harrogate district dental practices were currently taking on new patients.
With so few dentists and so many patients, the report said many patients faced either long waits or high bills through private treatment.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire also highlighted how confusing it can be for someone attempting to find an NHS dentist.
In most areas across the county there are dentists listed on the NHS Choices website which do not actually provide an NHS service.
Volunteers from Healthwatch North Yorkshire called all of the practices listed on the NHS website in the county to ask if they were taking on new patients.
Three of the 19 in the Harrogate district said they were not NHS practices.
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This means there are 16 NHS dentist practices in the Harrogate district for an estimated 160,500 people. None are taking on new patients.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire received 176 calls from the public in the last year about NHS dentists. The vast majority — 84% — were negative.
Some of the complaints from Harrogate residents:
Anonymous email, December 2020, Harrogate:
“I needed an emergency filling at the beginning of the first lockdown. I was offered a temporary DIY kit which worked for all of two days.
“Weeks go by. I finally got my appointment, only to find that they still can’t fix it because they can’t use all equipment without the correct PPE.
“God knows how many months later and I’ve still only got a temporary fix.”
Anonymous website feedback, April 2021, Harrogate:
“I have been trying to obtain an NHS dentist for my 10-year-old daughter, myself and my husband.
“One dentist in Knaresborough said they could add us to a list that had a three year wait for an appointment.
“Another told me that the only way that my daughter could be seen would be if myself and my husband took a private place at a cost of £75 for an initial consultation each.
“This is disgraceful and holding people ransom for their children to be able to access basic dental treatment.”
Anonymous telephone call, April 2021, Harrogate:
“Caller rang about their partner. They have a hole in their tooth. Rang 111 to arrange an emergency appointment because of the pain – it took a week and a half to get an appointment.
“The dentist charged £90, and gave antibiotics. Told them to come back two days later for further treatment, bill to be £1,600.
“I tried finding NHS dentists elsewhere, none anywhere. Partner can’t pay that as they have been unemployed for the past six months.”
What can be done to fix the problem?
Ashley Green, chief executive of Healthwatch North Yorkshire, said:
“The lack of access to and availability of NHS dentists has severely affected the health and wellbeing of people across North Yorkshire, from Scarborough to Selby, from Craven to Harrogate.
“The impact of coronavirus has only acted to exemplify a dental system already under enormous strain and challenge.
“We feel it is now time to act – and to use upcoming changes to NHS and social care reforms, specifically the emergence of integrated care systems to fuel this change.
“We hear on a weekly basis the struggles of people and families unable to be seen by an NHS dentist, but also the desire by NHS dentists to see and treat their patients more effectively.”
Grab-a-Jab walk-in vaccinations available in Knaresborough all weekWalk-in covid vaccines are being offered at the former Lidl site in Knaresborough all week from 8am to 5pm.
First and second doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs will be available at the site on York Road from today until Saturday without a booking. Moderna is not being offered.
Latest government figures show that in the Harrogate district, 86% of adults have had their first jab and 76% have had both.
The district is below the UK average for first doses, which is 89%. Across the country, 75% of people have had both doses.
Elsewhere in the district, walk-in vaccinations for Pfizer and AstraZeneca will be offered on Saturday at Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge.
Earlier this week, Homecare Pharmacy, which runs the site in Knaresborough, reassured patients it was still offering covid jabs after a technical glitch sent messages cancelling appointments.
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