Eriksen cardiac arrest inspires a Harrogate football club to crowdfund defibrillator

Pannal Sports Junior Football Club has raised over £2,000 in just four hours for a life-saving defibrillator.

The fundraising campaign followed the shocking scenes of footballer Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on the pitch during a Euro 2020 game last week.

The club said the event “really hit home to a lot of people” how important having a defibrillator on site is for any sporting facility.

More than 100 people donated money to the successful crowdfunding campaign which means the club can install a defibrillator at their ground on Leeds Road.

Currently, it would take 10 minutes to get to the nearest defibrillator, which could be the difference between life and death.

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Nick Viles, chair of Pannal Sports, said:

“The recent events at Euro 2020 have highlighted the importance of having this life-saving equipment close at hand in an emergency. With Pannal Community Park used by almost 1,000 people each week, either recreationally or as part of organised sport, we want to be able to provide immediate pitch side access to a defibrillator.

“This funding will allow us to install a defibrillator that will be accessible 24/7 to those using the facilities and to the wider local community.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported our campaign by donating and helping us reach our target so quickly, meaning we can install a new defibrillator as quickly as possible.”

Donations are still being received and the club plans to use these additional funds to deliver first aid training for its junior football players.

Mobile testing site opens in Harrogate car park for first time

A mobile testing site has opened in Harrogate today for the first time and is set to be there three days a week “until further notice”.

NHS test and trace staff set up the site this morning at West Park car park on Tower Street.

The car park will close on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday each week for testing.

It comes as workers continue to dismantle the permanent testing centre in the Dragon Road car park near Asda, which closed on Sunday (May 23).

Health officials announced in March that the Dragon Road site would close as the Harrogate Convention Centre. The centre said it needs the space for parking.

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The move from a permanent centre to a mobile unit is a further sign that the emergency response to the pandemic is scaling back.

Matthew Robinson, head of resilience and emergencies at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“The advantages of mobile testing sites is that we can flex and strengthen as we go.

“If cases are increasing in a particular area we will continue to provide more frequent testing in that location.”

The site at the Dragon Road car park is now closed.

This follows news that the vaccination centres in Harrogate and Ripon will also close in August.

Local pharmacy sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge will play a larger part in the vaccine roll out.

For more information on testing go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/book-coronavirus-covid-19-test-if-youve-got-symptoms

All Harrogate district social distancing planters and cones up for review

All street planters and cones used to promote social distancing in the Harrogate district are set to be reviewed next month.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) has confirmed that the measures will remain in place until the review, which is due to be held at the end of June.

It comes amid growing calls for their removal in the form of a petition and a group of businesses in Knaresborough.

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Those people believe that Harrogate and Knaresborough need parking spaces more than the social distancing enforcements as the lockdown eases.

The county council closed off parking bays in the towns at the start of the pandemic to give pedestrians more room to spread out.

Under the Government’s roadmap, all social distancing measures are set to be dropped on June 21. That is around the time NYCC will hold its review.

A council spokesperson said:

“We can confirm all social distancing measures will be in place until the review at the end of June.

“We have met regularly with local councillors and representatives from the town council and chamber of trade over the past 12 months to ensure that the social distancing measures in place are appropriate.

“No businesses have sent us a request to remove them.”

Knaresborough businesses call for social distancing cones to go

Three Knaresborough businesses have united to call for the removal of the social distancing cones in the town centre.

The traffic cones have been in place on the High Street since the start of the pandemic but some traders and residents feel now is time for them to go.

The government is due to drop all social distancing measures next month in the final step of the roadmap out of lockdown.

However, three business owners told the Stray Ferret the cones should be removed as soon as possible so disc parking spaces can be restored.

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Hairdresser Kelly Teggin, who owns a shop on Castlegate, told the Stray Ferret:

“The car parking spaces are needed more than the room they provide for social distancing.

“When I have stood on the High Street and watched, I do not see anyone using the cones to walk around others anymore.

“But in the last few weeks when it has been busy in town, nearly all of my clients were 20 minutes late because they could not find a parking space.”

Jordan Thompson, who owns Harriets Clothing, also said:

“We need normality back and we need parking available so people can come and spend their money in time like they used to do.

“Now is the time for them to go. They are very ugly and people drive into them all the time.”

The president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and barber shop owner, Steve Teggin, added his frustration:

“If you look at the High Street and the rest of town, it is still very quiet. A lot of people are still affected by the lack of parking.

“Unfortunately, we are losing customers to Harrogate so we have got to stop that now.”

The businesses called for people who agree to reach out to councillor David Goode, who represents Knaresborough on North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, by emailing him here.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council whether it was considering the removal of the cones but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Markington woman suffers severe burns from oven cleaner

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.

oven cleaner burn

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.

GP praises vaccine progress but warns against relaxing too soon

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.

Three covid cases in Harrogate district today

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.

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North Yorkshire health boss challenges care home isolation guidance

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.”

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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 more covid cases in Harrogate district

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.

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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 hospital’s intensive care unit completes £1m refurbishment

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.

New ICU unit at Harrogate District Hospital

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.