Harrogate hospital food rated worst in country by patients

Hospital food in Harrogate is the worst in the country, according to patients.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust received the lowest rating of all the hospital trusts assessed in the NHS survey.

Patients awarded the trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital, 72% for food quality.

The next lowest was Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with 74%, closely followed by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Private provider Bupa rated the highest with 100%.

NHS Digital published the figures as part of its 2022 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment programme.

PLACE assessments are an annual appraisal of the non-clinical aspects of NHS and independent/private healthcare settings.

Harrogate fared better on cleanliness, ranking 53rd of the 222 organisations with a score of 99.49%.

But it was a lowly 192nd on privacy, dignity and wellbeing with a score of 81%.

Hospital issues apology

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We strive to provide the best possible levels of service for those people in our care and we are extremely disappointed that we were unable to meet the expectations of our patients when the assessment took place.

“We would like to apologise to anyone who has been dissatisfied by the service we provided.

“It is important that we learn lessons from these findings as food is an important part of a patient’s hospital experience. The quality of food provided to our patients has always been high, but there is the opportunity to improve on the levels of service.

“We take such assessments extremely seriously and have already started to make improvements to address the concerns that have been raised.”

“These improvements have already had a significant impact and we will continue to make further changes to ensure we are meeting our patients’ expectations.”


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UK’s largest-ever health research programme comes to Ripon

The UK’s largest-ever health research programme has arrived in Ripon and is seeking volunteers aged over 18 from all backgrounds and communities to take part.

 

Working in partnership with the NHS, the charity Our Future Health has opened its large yellow mobile clinic on the Morrisons car park, off Harrogate Road, and will be there for a month.

Our Future Health aims to transform the prevention, detection and treatment of conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

With up to five million volunteers across the UK, the goal is to create one of the most detailed pictures ever of people’s health.

At their clinic appointment, as well as having a blood sample and some physical measurements taken, volunteers will be offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In the future, volunteers will also be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of some diseases and have the opportunity to take part in research studies.

Working in collaboration with the NHS, the programme is sending invitation letters to people who live near the new clinics. Anyone over the age of 18 can join by signing up online, completing an online health questionnaire, and booking a short clinic appointment.

Dr Raghib Ali, chief medical officer at Our Future Health, said:

“Our clinics are rapidly reaching more communities across the UK, giving more people than ever the opportunity to learn more about their own health and help people live healthier lives for longer.

“By placing our clinics in settings that people come across in their everyday routine, such as supermarkets, train stations and Boots stores, we’re making it easy and convenient for everyone to contribute to health research, particularly people who have never done something like this before.”


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Harrogate hospital: Patients will be safe during junior doctors’ four-day strike

The chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has given assurances that patients will be safe during an upcoming junior doctors strike.

Doctors union the British Medical Association announced that its members will take part in industrial action from today until 7am on Saturday, April 15.

The strike will be longer than the 72-hour action by junior doctors that took place at Harrogate District Hospital last month and follows other strikes this year by nurses and ambulance workers.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of the hospital trust, told a meeting of the trust’s board members that the hospital has a “robust plan” in place to deal with any disruption should the junior doctors strike goes ahead as planned.

He said:

“Lots of work went into preparing for the last junior doctor’s strike. The biggest learning we found was the role of other professionals to cover roles.

“The strike is obviously concerning but I’m confident we’ll have safe services. There’s a cost of people covering the work and planning it and the cost to the patients who have work delayed. Services will be safe and let’s hope theres a solution relatively quickly.”

It’s estimated that more than 175,000 patient appointments and procedures had to be cancelled in England during the last junior doctors strike.

The BMA is asking for a pay-rise of 35%, which it says will reverse 15 years of real-term cuts. However, the government says this demand is unaffordable.


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The trust says outpatients appointments and planned activity may be affected at Harrogate hospital but patients will be contacted if appointments need to be rearranged.

It has asked people who require medical assistance and are considering visiting A&E to contact 111 first unless it’s life-threatening or a severe injury.

Why are the junior doctors striking?

Junior doctors are qualified doctors in clinical training and they make up nearly half of the medical workforce in England.

The British Medical Association says while workload and waiting lists are at record highs, junior doctors’ pay has effectively been cut by more than a quarter since 2008.

A BMA spokesperson said:

“If junior doctors are forced out of the NHS because of poor pay and conditions, the services we all rely on to look after our loved ones will suffer.”

A NHS spokesperson said:

“Our door remains open to constructive conversations, as we have had with other health unions, to find a realistic way forward.”

Let’s Get Better: NHS and partners launch new website for Harrogate district and beyond

This story is sponsored by Let’s Get Better.


Are you looking for help to improve you or your family’s physical and mental health? Do you want to take charge of your wellbeing and live a happier and healthier life? If yes, then read on.

If you live in the Harrogate area, Let’s Get Better is the ultimate destination for all your health and wellness needs. Our website, www.letsgetbetter.co.uk offers comprehensive resources, support and signposting to help you and your family Start Well, Age Well and Live Well.

The website has been put together on behalf of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership – a collaboration of health, social care, community and charitable organisations in North Yorkshire and York, Hull and East Riding and North and North East Lincolnshire.

The launch of Let’s Get Better brings together lots of useful information and guidance to support you at every stage of your lifelong health journey – as well as help to take you to the “right care, first time” when you or a member of your family is unwell.

Whether you’re a young person looking for mental health support, a mum-to-be who’s looking for help to manage your pregnancy, or just want to get fitter, improve your diet, or manage stress, there’s something for everyone at Let’s Get Better.

We firmly believe in empowering people to take control of their health and wellbeing – and take steps to prevent ill health. With the right information at your fingertips, it will help you to play your part in looking after your health and the health of those around you – and help you choose the right care when you do have a health issue.

Dr Nigel Wells, clinical lead for the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said:

“Our Partnership’s ambition is for everyone in our area to: start well, live well and age well.

“This means shifting the focus of our work from picking people up when they fall to helping to prevent them from becoming unwell in the first place and supporting more people to manage their health and wellbeing at home so they can get on with living happy and fulfilling lives.

“We hope the Let’s Get Better website will become the ultimate online health and wellbeing companion for everyone living in our area – and people’s first port of call when they need extra information and support to make decisions about their health and wellbeing.”

Stephen Eames, CBE, the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Chief Executive added:

“We know that at the end of the day many people want to not only look after their health but also improve their wellbeing, both physically and mentally.

“There are lots of sources of health information available; the aim of Let’s Get Better, as more and more content is added, is to have an easy to navigate, dedicated online space where people can find out more about how to look after themselves – and where to go when they’re unwell.

“We want people to think beyond their family doctor – there are lots of other expert health professionals working in GP surgeries and many minor ailments can be resolved by going to see a local pharmacist. Or for more urgent care needs NHS 111 or an Urgent Treatment Centre can help, without having to go to a hospital’s Accident and Emergency department. Let’s Get Better explains all these services along with when you should use them and much more useful information.”

The Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is one of 42 Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) which cover England to meet health and care needs across an area, coordinate services and plan in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities between different groups.

We work across a geographical area of more than 1,500 square miles and serve a population of 1.7 million people, all with different health and care needs.


Find out more:  

In addition to the Let’s Get Better website, the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership has launched a new Facebook page, Do give us a like!

We’ll be regularly posting short videos, sharing hints, tips, advice and guidance and posting topical content.

NHS places to be lost as Ripon dental practice closure announced

A dental practice offering NHS care in Ripon is set to close in three months’ time.

Bupa’s practice on Finkle Street will shut its doors on June 30, with the national company citing a lack of dentists to provide care.

The Finkle Street branch has provided NHS and private dental care. The Bupa Clock Tower practice in North Parade is unaffected, as are Harrogate’s Raglan Suite and Bupa Dental Care in East Parade – but none of these is accepting new adult NHS patients.

Finkle Street is one of 85 across the country to be closed, sold or merged over the coming months. As well as problems with recruiting, Bupa said rising costs influenced its decision.

Bupa Dental Care general manager Mark Allen said:

“As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need.

“For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.”

Bupa said it will hand back its dental contract in Ripon to the NHS, allowing commissioners to find a new provider for NHS dental services.


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However, the issue of NHS provision has already raised concerns in the Harrogate district.

It was raised in the House of Commons last month when Daisy Cooper, MP for for St Albans, said only half of children in North Yorkshire had seen an NHS dentist last year.

Last month, the chairman of North Yorkshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee, Cllr Andrew Lee, said he had raised the issue of NHS dental access in the county with the government.

The NHS website does not list any practices in the Harrogate district as accepting new adult patients for NHS treatment. Only two – Bupa’s Clock Tower in Ripon and Boroughbridge Dental Centre – are shown as taking new patients aged under 18 on the NHS.

Previously known as Oasis Dental Care, the Finkle Street practice had five surgeries and employed six dentists, a hygienist, seven dental nurses, a practice manager and two receptionists when the Care Quality Commission last inspected in 2016.

Bupa has not confirmed how many jobs will be lost as a result of the closure, but said it would redeploy staff “where possible”.

Mr Allen added:

“We fully understand the impact today’s decision has on our patients and our people within these practices. This decision has not been taken lightly and closure is a last resort.

“Despite our continued efforts, the dental industry is facing a number of significant and systemic challenges that are placing additional pressure on providing patient care, in particular recruiting dentists to deliver NHS dental care.

“This decision enables us to focus our efforts on high-quality, continued sustainable care for patients across our wider portfolio.”

‘Shocking’ lack of NHS dentists in Harrogate and Knaresborough raised in Parliament

A Liberal Democrat MP has raised concerns in Parliament about the “shocking” lack of NHS dentists in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans and the party’s health spokesperson, was taking part in a House of Commons debate yesterday on expanding the NHS workforce when she raised concerns about dentistry.

She said only half of children in North Yorkshire managed to see an NHS dentist last year, adding:

“In Harrogate if you are lucky enough to find an NHS dentist taking on any new patients you face a two-and-a-half year wait to see them. This is a shocking state of affairs.”

Ms Cooper called on a minister to visit the area to speak to patients and dentists to see the situation for themselves.

The issue has long been a cause for concern in Harrogate and Knaresborough. A Stray Ferret investigation carried out in March 2021 found that just two NHS dentists in the Harrogate district were accepting new patients – one in Knaresborough with a waiting time of two-and-a-half years, and one in Boroughbridge with a waiting time of three years.

Two years later, the NHS website currently lists just two practices in the district as accepting new patients, but only those under the age of 17 – one in Ripon and one in Boroughbridge. None are listed for Harrogate.

Tom Gordon, spokesperson and parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“Patients in Harrogate and Knaresborough are facing an access crisis. Only yesterday I spoke with a family who moved to the area more than 18 months ago, they have been unable to find an NHS dentist and are now paying for private care. This is all too common; families are faced with a bill for private treatment or unacceptable waits to be seen by an NHS dentist.

“As a former health services researcher, I know how important it is that we get to grips with the dental crisis, and the impact that poor dental outcomes have on wider health & well-being.

“I am grateful to the Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Copper for raising this in Parliament and putting more pressure on ministers to act to fix this access crisis.”

The Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, was approached for comment by the Stray Ferret, but no response has yet been received.


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Business Breakfast: Harrogate healthcare company creates 20 jobs

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.


Harrogate-based digital health company, Inhealthcare, has created 20 jobs which will help the NHS and private sector with patient monitoring services.

Inhealthcare supports more than 50 NHS trusts in England and provides services to five health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland.

Services provided by Inhealthcare, which is based at Cardale Park, include the management of ‘virtual wards’. Patients get to remain at home whilst they or a carer monitor vital signs and input data on an app, SMS, automated phone call or online portal.

The 20 jobs at the company include app developer roles, automation testers, technical authors and product specialists, as well as account managers, deployment and training managers, and training and support executives.

This takes the number of employees to 44.


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Harrogate car dealership wins award for customer satisfaction

 Harrogate care dealership, Stratstone MINI has received Reputation’s 800 award for high customer-satisfaction.

The dealership, which is on Wetherby Road, is one of seven Stratstone garages to win this award in 2023.

Reputation, which gives out the award, assess the customer-satisfaction of companies in various industries, including the automotive industry, finance, healthcare, home services, hospitality and real estate.

Businesses are scored, and those that are honoured with the 800 award will have achieved a score above that number.

Kim Costello, chief customer officer at Stratstone, said:

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our associates in North Yorkshire.

“Across Stratstone, our aim is to be the gold-standard for customer-centric business, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. We look forward to earning this award year after year.”​​​​​​

Decision on 1,300-home Ripon barracks scheme could be made this month

A decision on whether to build a major 1,300-home scheme on an army barracks in Ripon could be made within weeks.

The scheme, which has been submitted by government housing agency Homes England, would see houses built on Claro Barracks off Clotherholme Road.

The proposal was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in September 2020, but has yet to be decided.

Council officials have now said the scheme could come to the authority’s planning committee this month after negotiations over NHS contributions were nearing an end.

Trevor Watson, the council’s director of economy and culture, told an overview and scrutiny commission meeting on Monday that developer contributions for health was the “last big issue” to overcome.

He said:

“We are confident that we are now approaching the final negotiations in relation to what was the last big issue that has caused a few problems.

“That is the level of contributions towards health provision. We are nearing an agreement on that, I think.

“That will allow us to bring forward the application for determination by Harrogate Borough Council at a special planning committee, we hope on February 23 and we also hope with a recommendation of approval.”

Claro Barracks Ripon

Claro Barracks

Mr Watson added the scheme was a “once in a generation opportunity” to develop a brownfield site included in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished at the end of next month and succeeded by the new North Yorkshire Council.

The negotiations over developer contributions come after NHS managers in North Yorkshire objected to the scheme because of concerns about the amount of funding that would be provided for local healthcare.

In a letter to the council, Andrew Dangerfield, head of primary care transformation at NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said the method used by Homes England to assess healthcare need as a result of the new homes was “at odds” with the NHS.

He added the developer had offered “zero” section 106 contributions to help mitigate demand as a result of increased population due to the scheme.


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Mr Dangerfield said:

“The integrated care board is concerned about Homes England’s overall approach to health, they have sought to provide zero section 106 contributions towards the provision of healthcare infrastructure on a development of significant scale (circa 3,000 people), using a methodology which is at odds with the NHS commissioners and local healthcare partners.

“The integrated care board, who has direct expert knowledge of the local surgeries in the area and is responsible for the commissioning of healthcare services have consistently outlined that the existing practices do not have capacity to absorb the population created by the 1,300 homes coming forward as part of this application, and therefore have requested mitigation in the form of a section 106 contribution.”

Mr Dangerfield added that should no contributions towards healthcare be made, then the development “cannot be considered sustainable”.

In October 2020, NHS North Yorkshire CCG – which preceded the integrated care board – said in a letter to the borough council that it was seeking £553,128 from Homes England in contributions to health.

The planned homes in Ripon will include a significant number of two and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.

It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

‘Radical reform’ needed for North Yorkshire NHS dentists, says councillor

A senior councillor has called for radical reform of NHS dentistry in North Yorkshire amid concern over access to appointments.

Cllr Andrew Lee, chair of North Yorkshire County Council’s health scrutiny panel, has written to the government’s health and social committee with evidence over “extremely problematic” access to dentists.

The Stray Ferret has highlighted long waiting lists for NHS dentistry in the Harrogate district in recent years.

Cllr Lee has written to Steve Brine MP, chair of the national health committee, who has called for evidence to support a public inquiry into the matter.

Cllr Lee said:

“For some years, the issues with being able to access an NHS dentist has been a high priority on the agenda for the scrutiny of health committee.

“Feedback consistently indicates it being extremely problematic to find, access and retain an NHS dentist.”

The move comes as North Yorkshire’s health scrutiny committee heard of inequalities in accessing dentists across the county.

For example, in North Yorkshire, Scarborough residents have a greater challenge in accessing dentistry than those in Harrogate, due, in part, to the difference in demographics.


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However, a review of NHS dentistry published in August 2021 found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.

Cllr Lee added:

“Radical reform is absolutely needed. The solution lies in the management of dental services. Recruitment and retention remain difficult, and dentists themselves are frustrated with the service they can provide.

“The problem does not lie with recruiting dentists, the problem lies with a broken and dysfunctional dental contract with severe underfunding. Dentists themselves cannot rectify this and it is creating by default a two-tier system whereby those that can afford to go private do so and others struggle to access any kind of care.”

Stray Views: Concern over Harrogate’s expansion and healthcare

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.


I refer to your recent article entitled ‘GPs ‘extremely concerned’ about new housing in Harrogate’. I have accessed the planning application mentioned and have read the letter from the NHS in detail.

The more I read the more concerned I have become over the existing and future healthcare provision in Harrogate.

If the NHS is advising that the primary care and community services are already in crisis when considering an application for just 49 dwellings then what of the future and the many large housing developments currently under construction in Harrogate and those remaining within the Local Plan.

Clearly, this is a major admission by the NHS that it cannot cope with the rate of expansion of new housing developments yet the planning authority is continuing to grant planning permission for more and more housing in Harrogate.

The NHS letter specifically states:

“Primary Care and Community Services within the area are already running at, or far beyond their existing capacity.”

Furthermore, it goes on to state:

“In conclusion it is difficult to envisage any rationale for Harrogate Borough Council to consider recommending this application without taking into consideration the impact of further residential development in Harrogate on the delivery of local Primary Care Services.”

The letter also refers to capital funding from developer contributions but these are normally made when planning permission is granted. It is highly unlikely that the building of new facilities will commence when the funding is available and it may be years before these facilities come into operation due to land acquisition and the planning process.

At the time of the public consultation for the Local Plan, numerous comments were made regarding the lack of health infrastructure to support this large increase in population not only for doctors but for the availability of NHS dentists and the lack of capacity at the general hospital.

The NHS has highlighted a very serious ongoing problem and the HBC must act now to put healthcare provision as a major priority ahead of any further large scale planning applications. It must ensure that adequate healthcare infrastructure is in step with the number of new dwellings being permitted. 

Roger Jestice, Harrogate


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Daughter’s concert one to remember

I am writing to thank you for reporting my daughter Jo’s concert at the Wesley Centre in the Stray Ferret.

Jo was delighted to see so many there. We still haven’t quite come down to earth. We were all totally overwhelmed by the support on a Monday lunchtime in January.

To have Jo’s 93 year old primary school teacher who taught her recorder, as well as Stephen Price, her first horn teacher, and Brian Hunt, the ex-head of music at Harrogate Grammar School there to hear her was quite emotional for us all.

Brian Hunt, the one who got her started on the French horn (she was originally a violinist) was someone we had lost touch with.

He retired 17 years ago and when I phoned the school they were unable to give me contact details. However another teacher saw the article in the Stray Ferret and told Brian about it.

I think both Jo and our elder daughter Sarah have only recently come to realise how loved they were by those they were fortunate to come into contact with while growing up, and who influenced their lives so much.

A day to remember forever.

Maureen Greenberg, Harrogate


Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.