To recognise the hard work of NHS staff during the coronavirus pandemic a Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity calendar is being released. 

Now on sale, the calendar is raising money for the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT). 

The calendar showcases the winning entries of a photo competition run by the charity. The selection includes uplifting images of staff at work, as well as photos of the Harrogate district. 

The HHCC team with some of the new calendars.

Ben Windass, materials management procurement officer at HDFT, took the winning image on the front of the calendar. He said:

“I named this piece of work ‘Rainbow’ because of the general theme around national support for the NHS and I feel this picture really encapsulates this. Incidentally, these crocheted rainbows were kindly donated to the Trust, which also reinforces the theme of support and positivity towards HDFT, and the NHS as a whole.

“Any money raised by the sale of these calendars would be greatly appreciated. On a personal level, it feels warming that I have been able to contribute towards this project and hope that it will in turn contribute to supporting our fabulous Trust and all the communities we serve.”

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Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager, said: 

“We are so proud to be launching the 2020/21 calendar. The images used to develop it are absolutely amazing and really capture the spirit of the NHS in the north and what it means to be a part of team HDFT.

 “It’s been a tough year for both colleagues and service users at the Trust, and we are really keen to raise as much as we can following the success of last year’s calendar in order to continue improving what the Trust can do for its local communities.”

The calendars are available for a suggested £10 donation, with all proceeds going to HDFT. This is thanks to sponsorship from Living and Home, a homeware store based in Manchester, whose director has strong ties to the trust after his daughter was born at Harrogate District Hospital. 

The Trust will use the funds to provide electronic tablets for patients to video call relatives while in hospital. It will also use them to improve its services, training and facilities. 

A peer has expressed concerns the Harrogate Nightingale hospital will not open because it “simply does not have the staff available to allow it to operate safely”.

The government said this week the hospital was on standby to receive covid patients.

But Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, told the Lords yesterday:

“It is widely believed in Yorkshire that, as far as the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate is concerned, this will not happen because the hospital simply does not have the staff available to allow it to operate safely.”

Lord Newby, who lives in Ripon, asked Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, the Conservative leader of the House of Lords, if she could “assure the House that this is not the case”.

Baroness Evans replied that the hospital was already being used for CT scans — which did not reassure Lord Newby.

Speaking today to the Stray Ferret, he said:

“I raised the issue yesterday because I had heard from several NHS sources that the Nightingale hospital had neither the equipment nor more importantly the staff to open fully.

“I was not at all reassured by Baroness Evans’ response. She said that the Harrogate Nightingale was currently being used for CT scans and implied that it was on standby to open for covid cases.

“She explicitly refused to answer my specific question about whether the hospital had the staffing levels which would allow it to open safely for covid patients.”

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Lord Newby said he doubted NHS England would want to admit there would be real difficulties getting the Harrogate hospital working with covid patients on any scale.

An NHS England spokesperson for the hospital said:

“As part of our comprehensive activation plans we have developed a model that can be scaled up as and when additional critical care beds are required in the region.

“This ensures that the right skill mix of staff will be available from NHS trusts in the region, and via NHS Professionals and through direct recruitment if required.”

The question of how healthcare provision will be expanded and funded to accommodate the proposed 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development has been raised by the city’s MP, Julian Smith.

Mr Smith approached the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group after a constituent contacted him with concerns about the potential impact of the proposed development on healthcare services.

Besides 1,300 homes, the development also includes plans for shops and businesses, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

A letter of response from Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for NHS NYCCG, has been published on Mr Smith’s website.

It says NYCCG has a process in place for monitoring new developments and accessing funds under the community infrastructure levy introduced by Harrogate Borough Council in July.

The levy is a charge paid by developers to local authorities to support the infrastructure costs of their projects.

Ms Bloor pointed out in her letter that the NYCCG is:

“Aware of the issues raised about access and demand for local medical services in Ripon and is in active discussion with GP practices and Harrogate & District Foundation Trust, which runs Ripon Hospital.”

She added: “We are developing a long-term plan to address improvements to health services in Ripon.”

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Many questions have been raised about the proposed barracks development, which is a partnership project between the public bodies Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Known as Clotherholme, the scheme includes Claro and Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks.

During consultation, residents have asked about the impact it will have on the city’s infrastructure – from roads to schools.

Ripon City Council has claimed that the transport assessment was “flawed” because it was undertaken during a period when there was less traffic – something Homes England disputes.

The deadline for comments on the scheme is today. You can submit a comment on the Harrogate Borough Council planning website, using reference 20/02973/EIAM.

Harrogate District Hospital will reintroduce parking charges for staff, patients and visitors from next week.

Parking has been free at the hospital since the first few weeks of the coronavirus lockdown but charges will apply again next Wednesday.

The government has covered the loss of income for trusts.

The hospital said it has been receiving complaints from patients and visitors struggling to find spaces.

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Staff will not be able to park at the top level of the main car park from next week, reverting back to the arrangements before the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Harrogate District Hospital said:

“We know that this will be unwelcome but we trust you understand the reasons why we are reintroducing parking charges. Parking at hospitals will always be a challenge and there is never going to be one solution that everyone is happy with.”

All on-site staff car parks will be available with a permit at the usual monthly rate.

The GMB Union, which has long campaigned for free parking at hospitals, previously said it would be a disgrace to charge hospital staff to park.

Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, said:

“Our investigation found trusts were charging hard-up NHS staff up to £1,300 a year to park where they work. We persuaded the government to scrap parking charges for all health and social care staff. Now ministers are showing their true colours.”

A spitfire will fly over Harrogate District Hospital this morning as a special thank you to the NHS.

The plane set off from Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire at 10am and is expected to reach Harrogate at around 10.50am.

Harrogate missed out in the spitfire’s last journey in July but today’s flypast is intended to thank hospital staff for their coronavirus efforts.

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Steve Russell, the chief executive at Harrogate NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“For my colleagues who are able to they may wish to pop out to see the NHS spitfire pass over as a mark of thanks to every single member of the team, and all other key workers without whom we could not have played our part.”

The plane has been painted for the occasion with the words “Thank U NHS” under its wings and also bears the names of nominated NHS workers.

The Aircraft Restoration Company, which is behind the project, has raised more than £80,000 for NHS Charities Together, a federation of 250 charities that support the NHS, with flypasts since July.

The blue spitfire PL983 nicknamed ‘L’ was built for photo reconnaissance in the 1940s and has an interesting history. Lettice Curtis, a famous female pilot, once raced the spitfire, which now carries her name alongside those of the NHS workers.

Harrogate District Hospital is to increase the number of coronavirus tests for staff amid concerns some NHS employees are being forced to miss work to self-isolate because tests aren’t available.

NHS Providers, which represents English hospital trusts, said today there were clear capacity problems with the testing regime.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said trust leaders from Bristol, Leeds and London had all raised concerns that a lack of testing availability had led to greater levels of staff absence. He added:

“The problem is that NHS trusts are working in the dark – they don’t know why these shortages are occurring, how long they are likely to last, how geographically widespread they are likely to be and what priority will be given to healthcare workers and their families in accessing scarce tests.”

A spokesman for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said it had its own staff testing facility and that any staff member required to have a test had received one. He added:

“We’re continuing to monitor demand for testing. In line with recent general increases in demand, we are in the process of extending our staff service to ensure we have capacity going forward.”

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A host of angels made from many different materials has started appearing around Dacre Banks and other neighbouring parishes in Nidderdale.

Rachel Ferneley, whose husband the Rev Alistair Ferneley is the vicar of Holy Trinity Church, has inspired parishioners and local people to make the angels as a means of thanking those who have helped others during the crisis and thinking of those who have died or are ill.

As well as being on display in gardens, windows of homes and businesses, they are decorating Holy Trinity itself.

At 10am tomorrow, the people who have made them are invited to bring their creations to the church for a socially-distanced open-air service led by Rev Ferneley. A rainbow of hope made up of the different written intentions will also be at the service.

Part of the Nidderdale Angels display at Holy Trinity Church in Dacre Banks.

Mrs Ferneley told the Stray Ferret:

“During the coronavirus crisis, the local community has pulled together and helped one another in many ways and I thought it would be appropriate to have a means of marking this with the Nidderdale angels.”

She added:

“This can be a way of thanking people who have acted like angels with help during the crisis, or a way of remembering loved ones who have died, or who are unwell.”

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The call for angels has sparked the imagination of the local community as the designs have come in many shapes and sizes, from the small cherub made out of chicken wire at the entrance to Holy Trinity to one made out of corks. More life-like are the two mannequins dressed in angelic clothing inside the church.

Mrs Ferneley is delighted by the response to the bank holiday event and pointed out:

“All we need now is for the angels to help us by bringing some dry weather on Sunday morning for our outdoor service!”

An NHS dentist in Harrogate could close and move its patients to Starbeck if planned changes go ahead.

Chatsworth House Dental Centre, based on Kings Road, sent out letters to its patients to tell them about the plans to merge with Starbeck Dental Centre.

Under the proposals, patients would need to travel 1.7 miles to the practice on Starbeck High Street – a six-minute drive or more than 30-minute walk.

The service provider, Target Dental Group, has not formally approached the NHS with its proposal and it is unclear what the timescale is for the closure.

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In the letter to patients, the provider said the merger would create a hub of dental services and “create an even greater patient experience”.

“Starbeck Dental Centre is situated in a modern spacious building. It is able to offer a broad range of services alongside full disabled access, modern facilities and easy access via public transport.”

The Stray Ferret approached the provider for a comment but received no response by the time of publication.

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The proposed closure of Chatsworth House Dental Centre will likely prompt fears about NHS dentist spaces in Harrogate.

Of the 11 NHS dentists in the town, only the Harrogate Dental Centre on Hookstone Park is advertising for new adult NHS patients. South Park Dental Practice is also advertising for child places up to the age of 18.

Currently, NHS dentists are not taking on any new patients because of the coronavirus pandemic. That could change by October, depending on guidance at the time.

A major event in the Harrogate Convention Centre calendar has been called off for January 2021.

BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) has been taking place at the venue for more than 30 years.

However, with HCC’s future still unknown until the NHS confirms whether the Nightingale hospital is needed over winter, and with social distancing measures making the busy international event difficult, the organisers have cancelled it for the first time since 1989.

Instead, they will hold a “festival of turf” in the summer, which they hope will be outside. A spokesman for BIGGA (the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association) said:

“The Harrogate Convention Centre, home to BTME since its inauguration as the European Turf Management Exhibition (ETME) in 1989, has been utilised as an NHS Nightingale Hospital since the peak of the outbreak in April and BIGGA is incredibly proud to be associated with a venue that has been transformed to enable the treatment of covid 19 patients, should the need arise.

“However, the alteration of dates will require a new venue to be found and discussions are underway with potential event hosts. Details will be released in due course.

“It is anticipated that BTME will return to the Harrogate Convention Centre in January 2022.”

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The news will come as a blow to the hospitality industry, which benefits from delegates staying in local hotels and guesthouses, eating out at restaurants and visiting other venues in the town. Kimberly Wilson, chair of guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is an important event for Harrogate. After December 15, Harrogate is very quiet until the Christmas and Gift Fair, which is mostly day trippers, and BIGGA is the first big show of the year.

“It’s a big deal for the town. They take a lot of beds – there are three main days and they do a lot of life-long learning around it, so some people stay for five days. It’s a longer event and they spend a lot of money in restaurants and bars.”

The organisers said they would move their education programme, Continue to Learn, online in January next year. Organisers said they expected the event to return to Harrogate Convention Centre in 2022.

However, with other events also taking place online, fears have been raised about the future of the conference industry, especially if social distancing measures remain in place for many months or even years. Ms Wilson said she was concerned about the potential long-term impact if event organisers decided not to resume in person in future.

Harrogate Convention Centre is currently in use by the NHS as a Nightingale hospital

The announcement about BIGGA follows the news that the Flooring Show is moving from its usual home at Harrogate Convention Centre in September to the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in late February. Its organisers are putting on shuttle buses to help attendees get to and from the town centre.

Meanwhile, the Bridal Show has also moved from HCC to the Yorkshire Event Centre and is set for early October this year.

No announcement has been made about whether the Nightingale hospital will remain in Harrogate. The NHS’s contract to use the site expired last Friday, but a two-week extension was announced to enable negotiations to continue.

The Prime Minister has announced £3 billion of funding to enable the Nightingale hospitals around the UK to be maintained if needed. However, the one housed at Birmingham NEC has since been scaled back and the venue is preparing to host events from October 1, when covid guidelines change.

A Harrogate charity which has been providing a helpline for NHS and care workers has been given a grant to extend its support to “blue light” emergency services.

Just ‘B’, one of the services offered by Saint Michael’s Hospice, has been providing support for people working on the frontline since April. The service provides bereavement, trauma and emotional wellbeing support to key workers, alongside national charity Hospice UK.

The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has granted nearly £1.8 million to charities to support the frontline community. The money will allow Saint Michael’s to extend its support to all emergency service workers for a further two years.

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Tony Collins, the Chief Executive of Saint Michael’s Hospice said:

“We are delighted to be able to extend this service to support our colleagues in the NHS, social care sector and emergency services. We know that they have been dealing with some of the most challenging situations imaginable.”

Just ‘B’ is made up of a team or trained and qualified volunteers and staff.

Speaking about the new grant, The Duchess of Cambridge said:

“Over recent months we have all been in awe of the incredible work that frontline staff and emergency responders have been doing in response to COVID-19, but we know that for many of them, their families, and for thousands of others across the UK, the pandemic will have a lasting impact on their mental health.”

The helpline is available to all ages and lines are open between 8am-8pm, seven days a week.