A professional cleaner from Markington says she suffered severe burns from an oven cleaner readily available for anyone online.

Vicky Buck has been cleaning for nine years but last month was left shocked when a cleaning product burnt through her skin, deep enough to cut her nerves.

Ms Buck runs her own cleaning company in the district, Ultraviolet clean. She said it was the Vanquish Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner that burnt her.

Whilst wearing protective clothing Ms Buck said “less than a teaspoon” of product fell through the tongue of her shoe and left her with a 50p size burn on the side of her foot.

Her sock had fused to her skin and she will be permanently scarred. It had also burnt through her gloves but luckily her hands healed.

After speaking to doctors at Harrogate District Hospital she has been referred to a burns specialist.

This is the burn Ms Buck was left with after a small drop of oven cleaner dripped onto her skin.

The incident happened on April 16, a few days before her 45th birthday, since initial treatment Ms Buck returned to A&E today after continuous pain. The doctors dug out the remaining dead flesh in hopes it will heal faster.

She said it was “surreal and grim” watching them remove the black skin without being able to feel it due to nerve damage.

She said:

“The bottle says professional use only and I am professional that has taken courses on chemical products but it still burnt me. It shouldn’t be so easily available, how many people could this happen to?

People really need to get the professionals in to do this. It’s no more oven cleaning for me.”

She says she is sharing her story in hopes others will be hesitant when using cleaners

The product is still available online for around £9 via a large online seller. Ms Buck suggested a product such as this should only be available to those with a licence.

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Ms Buck says when it first happened she had to take a few days off work as it was so swollen she couldn’t put shoes on or use her car pedals.

Ms Buck is on a number of cleaning forums with other professionals often asking for advice on good products, she hopes that going public with her story will stop people buying the product so easily.

The product manufacturer, Clover Chemicals Ltd, had been approached for a comment but had not responded at the time of publication.

A Harrogate GP has praised the progress of the covid vaccination programme, but says it is important people continue to follow government guidance.

Dr Bruce Willoughby has worked as a GP in a number of Harrogate practices and now acts as the GP clinical lead for primary care and population health within NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

As the vaccine programme continues to be extended to younger people and coronavirus cases decrease, Dr Willoughby has said this should not be a sign for people to relax.

The CCG is urging local residents to keep staying two metres apart from people outside their household or bubble and only meet outdoors. It says that social distancing measures such as washing your hands for 20 seconds and wearing a face covering are still vital.

Dr Willoughby said:

“While we are making excellent progress with our vaccination programme, we know that we must remain vigilant to keep the virus at bay in our communities as we continue to protect as many people as possible.

“We know that a vaccine reduces your chance of catching covid by around two thirds. And in addition to all that, you’re up to half as likely to pass it on to somebody else that you live with.

“I know we are looking forward to greater easing in government restrictions but this is no time for complacency, we still need to keep the virus under control, while we take the steps, safely, back to normal life.”

Dr Willoughby also encouraged anyone who has been invited for their vaccine to book an appointment. You can do so here.

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The current phase of the vaccine rollout means anyone aged 40 and over can book in for their jab.

Nearly 100,000 first doses of the covid vaccine have been delivered in the Harrogate district.

A further three cases of coronavirus have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s figures from Public Health England.

Cases have remained low in recent days. The total in the district since the start of the pandemic is now 7,654.

The district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen again to 12 per 100,000.

Starbeck has recorded the most infections in the last seven days, with eight.

The North Yorkshire average is now above England’s average – North Yorkshire is 32 and England is 25.

This is mainly because Selby’s rate has exploded to 112.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital. The total since the pandemic began stands at 179.

According the NHS England figures, the most recent covid death at the hospital was April 11.

Read more:

• After four months in intensive care this covid patient finally felt the sun on their face
• Vaccine toll reaches 95,000 in Harrogate district

A local public health official has challenged the government over new care home guidance, which he has condemned as a “backwards step”.

The new guidance tells residents to only leave care homes for medical appointments or in exceptional circumstances. On their return they will need to isolate for 14 days.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, has raised his concerns about the new guidance with the Department for Health and Social Care.

He believes that residents should be able to leave care homes.

Mr Webb said:

“The government guidance is quite restrictive about people in care homes taking trips out. We felt that was a backwards step.

“If you live in a care home you are entitled to get some fresh air. We were a bit disappointed to see some further restrictions. We have raised that with the Department for Health and Social Care.

“As long as it is done safely we would like to see people enjoy the spring sunshine as the rest of us can. Hopefully that will be looked at and we can give some better news in the future.”

Read more:

• Harrogate care home residents furious at covid isolation guidance
• Questions over Starbeck Baths as council fails to give opening date

This comes as residents at a care home on Claro Road, which is run by Disability Action Yorkshire, said they will defy the guidance as it was a “clear breach” of their human rights.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of the charity, has written to Harrogate MP, Andrew Jones. She warned him that he will receive furious e-mails as a result of the guidance.

She said:

“For the people that live at 34 Claro Road this is devastating. They are young people who just want to have the same freedoms as everyone else.

“They are seeing pictures of groups enjoying a beer outside the pub and they are being told they can’t even go for a walk around the block.”

Seven coronavirus cases have been reported today in the Harrogate district by Public Health England.

The figure is an increase on yesterday’s five cases and takes the district’s total since the start of the pandemic to 7,608.

The seven-day average rate of infection now stands at 19 per 100,000 people in the district.

The North Yorkshire seven-day average is 22 and the England average is 27.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital. The total since the start of the pandemic remains at 179.

Read more:

• Five covid cases reported in the Harrogate district
• First covid death at Harrogate hospital in nearly two weeks

In other covid news today, North Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Charlotte Bloxham revealed at this morning’s North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing that officers issued no fines for covid breaches in the Harrogate district in the past week.

Meanwhile, 25 pharmacies in the Harrogate district have signed up to become collection points for free rapid lateral flow tests and more are expected to come on stream in the coming days.

Harrogate District Hospital’s intensive care unit has completed a £1 million refurbishment.

The 12-week refurbishment has increased capacity, meaning the unit can now care for 11 patients rather than 10, and created a better environment.

Ross Stewart, a patient on the unit for many weeks in 2020 pre-covid, returned today to cut a ribbon before patients were transferred back in.

The unit was stripped down to its shell and rebuilt. Five of the 11 beds now have their own side rooms.

The hospital’s experience of the pandemic shaped the new design. For instance, the side rooms help to contain infections.

The unit has new TVs, flooring, ceilings and doors. Wall cladding and dimmable lights have been installed, and there are wall murals and LED ceiling panels featuring blue skies, clouds and trees in two of the side rooms.

The more open design means nurses can see all the patients from their station.

Daylight, open space and a clean feel are key features of the new design.

The last 12 months have been unprecedented for hospital staff. ICU staff have been caring for numbers never seen before.

Intensive care consultant Dr Sarah Marsh said:

“This has gone above and beyond what we could have expected. It’s not just about surviving it’s about giving that survivorship some quality and the environment in the ICU plays a huge part in that.

“Something as simple as having more natural light and dimmable lights is very important for the patients. The unit will really help to improve patients’ outcomes for sure.”

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The increase in patients due to covid forced the unit to relocate into a larger ward, which presented the opportunity to refurbish the unit without disturbing patients.

The Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity donated some of the funds for the work, which enabled a relatives’ room to offer a pull-down bed for relatives to stay in.

Harrogate District Hospital Trust provided over 17,000 fewer scans in the six months after the pandemic began than the six months prior.

The Stray Ferret has found data on the NHS England website to show that 39,348 scans took place between October 2019 and March 2020.

During the six months after coronavirus took hold, April 2020 and September 2020, there were 22,157 scans delivered at the hospital.

That is 17,191 fewer scans.

These numbers include scans delivered at the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate after a referral from the trust. The exact number has not been disclosed.

Coronavirus has had a huge impact on the NHS, with staff working longer hours under difficult conditions.

The district hospital has seen an impact in the number of scans it delivered. Coronavirus meant many appointments were delayed and some patients were left feeling reluctant to go into hospital with health issues.

The hospital said its staff are working hard to re-book appointments.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We are working hard to reschedule appointments and operations impacted by the pandemic for as soon as possible. However, the pandemic means that for many of our patients there will be a delay, and waiting times will be longer.

“We have arrangements in place to risk assess every patient on our waiting lists to ensure we prioritise people on the basis of their clinical need. These decisions are being made by doctors and other clinical colleagues who are following national clinical guidelines.

“Colleagues both in hospital and in community services have been absolutely fantastic throughout the pandemic and despite the ongoing challenges, continue to be.”

Read more:

• Coronavirus vaccine reaches more than 64,000 in Harrogate district
• ‘A costly PR stunt’: calls for an inquiry into Harrogate Nightingale

The data included 12 scans covering all areas of the body including CT, MRI and Cystoscopy scans. Some of those included in the data are used in cancer diagnosis.

Seven of the 12 scans included in this data can be used for cancer amongst other conditions.

Huge drops in cancer referrals have been reported throughout the pandemic. Cancer Research UK found that 40,000 fewer people started cancer treatment last year.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research and Services at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We know that there has been a reduction in urgent referrals for suspected cancer during the pandemic which is slowly getting back to normal. Early diagnosis of cancer is vitally important. It is easier to treat when caught early.

“We encourage anyone with any worrying symptoms to approach their GP.”

Health leaders revealed today they are in discussions with the organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show about whether the event and the vaccination programme on the site can take place together.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society announced this week it planned to stage the three-day show from July 13 to 15, adding the decision would be ‘reviewed regularly’.

This raised questions about the impact on the mass vaccination programme that is being run at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The showground, which can carry out up to 1,800 vaccinations a day, has been the Harrogate district’s main vaccine centre since December.

The NHS is due to be giving jabs to under-50s at the time of the show.

The vaccines are administered in the Yorkshire Event Centre building at the showground. The event centre is usually a key part of the Great Yorkshire Show, hosting many food stalls.

Read more:

• Great Yorkshire Showground can give 1,800 vaccines in a day
• Great Yorkshire Show set to go ahead in July

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a coronavirus press briefing today:

“It’s great that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and that venues which would have been standing empty have been serving such a great purpose.

“There are a number of sites we will be having conversations with over the next few weeks and there are also sites we are already in discussions with.

“We are talking about how we can run vaccination sites concurrently with public-facing events or whether we need to think about providing it in a different way.

“So we are working with individual sites to understand what the different options are for us.”

The Stray Ferret also asked the Yorkshire Agricultural Society about the situation.

Heather Parry, Managing Director of Yorkshire Event Centre said:

“We are discussing our plans with the NHS vaccination centre and together we expect to come up with workable solutions.”

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services for North Yorkshire County Council, led the authority’s covid response through the year. He tells the Stray Ferret he has not forgotten those lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

’Tis the season to be… jolly? Maybe it’s more about being careful and kind?!

What a year!

The Harrogate district, like the rest of North Yorkshire and the world, has spent much of the last 12 months wrapped in the nightmare of covid-19.

Sadly, too many of our fellow residents will be mourning loved ones taken by the virus. Empty chairs around festive tables will denote a loss that is only too real. Behind every number is a human being; someone with a life story and loved ones. We must, and will, remember them.

It has been a sobering year for those of us working in public health and adult social care. In March, we were supporting NHS colleagues who were converting Harrogate Convention Centre into the Yorkshire and Humber Nightingale Hospital.

I remember one particularly poignant Friday afternoon call with the Bishop of Ripon, talking about the projected huge numbers of deaths, how we would ensure ethical and personalised decision-making; and how we could support grieving families and communities.

The first wave was not as bad as initial fears, but it took its toll: at least 600 people across North Yorkshire have died from Covid and there have been more non-Covid deaths because people may have been reluctant to get the treatment they needed for cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Mental health continues to be a major concern for us all.

At the same time, the response from the community has been inspirational. In spring, as everyone came out onto our streets to clap key workers, and the cheers rang out across Harrogate’s rooftops, my thoughts were with public health and social care teams, volunteers, supermarket workers, farmers, as well as NHS colleagues… the list goes on because so many people have worked so hard.

Harrogate Grammar School was among those to make and donate visors during the first lockdown

Local businesses did all they could to help with PPE when we couldn’t get supplies. People made face masks. The Harrogate Bus Company featured pictures of nurses, social workers and care workers on their buses, in tribute to their work. Major Tom’s delivered pizzas to care homes to say thank you. Dementia Forward developed the “Café in a Box” to support people with dementia and their carers. North Yorkshire Sport delivered activity packs to keep people fit. Harrogate Festivals cheered and stimulated us by moving a year of events online. Harrogate Town won a well-deserved promotion and, for a time, did better than my beloved ‘Boro!

Personally, I have learned much about myself and others. There have been great highs and a few lows. I have been moved by people’s stories, courage and willingness to help others. I have been inspired by my conversations with people who use health and social care services: they have played a vital role in helping each other and coming up with new ideas as to how we could support them better.

And I have been grateful that people have come together to ensure we have kept ahead of the national situation wherever possible: whether that’s getting more testing available locally, tapping into the massive effort of volunteers, or supporting care homes to re-open to visitors where safe to do so.

Read more:

• Care home visits to continue through lockdown
• Calls for protection for ‘frightened and vulnerable’ carers

Apologies to my family and friends, because I have been so focused on work this year. Even more than usual! To those who wanted to do an evening Zoom beer or Zoom quiz, sorry: I have become Zoomed-out! However, I am grateful to have spent lockdown in one of the most beautiful parts of England. There is something about making the most of what’s on your doorstep: walking, cycling, running, breathing.

Even as the vaccine moves us towards “living with covid”, it is likely, although not inevitable, that we will face a third wave of the pandemic. Right now, we are at the toughest part before the dawn: needing to keep each other safe; to drive down infection rates; and to look to the future.

It is also an opportunity. We can look, with different eyes, at where we live, and what we do and build something new and different. I am optimistic about our potential and about the triumph of hope, humanity and innovation.

Looking ahead, and learning from the past 12 months, I am reminded of a line from Robert Frost’s poem, Birches, which I learned at school: “earth’s the right place for love”.

A new cafe is opening in Harrogate today to serve up healthy foods and drinks despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Hustle and Co is based on Station Parade and takes over the unit once occupied by Filmore and Union until last year.

Nici Routledge and Jo Bradshaw are behind the new cafe, which has created 15 new jobs for the area.

Jo told the Stray Ferret ahead of the opening:

“I think people will see it is quite different and in a very nice way and I do believe we’re offering things you can’t get anywhere else locally.

“We will be serving up smoothie bowls which will be really pretty and also really good for you. That’s the important thing for us, that it’s full of goodness.”

Read more:

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The cafe will also serve up matcha waffles, gulten-free banana bread, fresh juices, coffee and more from 8am until early evening.

Nici also told the Stray Ferret that the latest lockdown was not going to stop the cafe:

“We both think that there are opportunities through challenging situations. If nothing else through this year there’s been a shift of mindset.

“I think more people want to support local. I think people are really buying into that now so that’s positive.”