Council staff who work in highways, planning and office jobs may step into care roles amid a shortage in staff caused by the omicron variant of coronavirus.

The Harrogate district has recorded unprecedented levels of case numbers in the last few weeks. The seven-day rate now up to 1,507 per 100,000 population.

An increase in virus spread has meant that many in the care sector have become infected and need to isolate.

North Yorkshire County Council has stepped up emergency planning to mitigate for what it calls a “significant reduction” in staff across critical care services and the wider care sector.

Staff took on different duties and worked extra hours over the holiday period. But now the county council has called on its wider workforce to help out.

Richard Flinton, who chairs the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies, said:

“We believe putting our workforce on an emergency footing in this way is vital to ensuring our partners in the NHS can function. It is about enabling patients to be discharged from hospital into care settings.

“These emergency plans will only be used if needed but will hopefully provide sufficient volunteers to get us through the Omicron wave. The wave may see as much as a 40% reduction in available care staff.

“Staff would be deployed in such circumstances on a range of different duties supporting care delivery in our elderly person’s homes and extra care settings to free up care colleagues to deliver direct care.

“So we are looking for colleagues to help with roles such as cooking, cleaning, helping people eat and drink and social activities.”

Read more:

• Councillor claims Harrogate vaccine staff ‘bored stiff’
• Harrogate hospital reports another covid death
• Harrogate district covid rate continues to climb

The county council has said it will provid training and support as needed. It will also match new duties to normal working patterns.

Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health, said:

“These rates are unprecedented, higher than any since the start of the pandemic. But there is much we can do to protect each other.

“The priority is for all eligible people to get boosted and vaccinated and also to follow essential public health guidance as we head into the difficult winter months.

“Wear face masks when required, keep rooms ventilated and open to fresh air when meeting indoors, wash hands regularly and take a test when you go out to meet people.

“We need to pull together on this and each and every one of us can play our part. Please act now to protect yourselves, your loved ones and the county’s businesses and public services.”

People urged to get booster vaccine

Health bosses in the county have also urged people to continue to come forward for booster vaccinations.

Amanda Bloor, Accountable Officer for the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“There are lots of walk-in and booked appointments now available for booster vaccinations as we go into 2022. I would encourage everyone to take up the offer and make arrangements as they become eligible.”

Walk-in covid booster jabs are still available at Yorkshire Showground, Ripon Racecourse and the Chain Lane vaccination site in Knaresborough.

Both the Chain Lane and Yorkshire Showground sites will also be open this weekend for walk-in appointments.

Care staff shortages in North Yorkshire have reached a “critical” stage and are only likely to worsen when compulsory covid vaccines come into force on November 11, a council boss has warned.

Justine Brooksbank, assistant chief executive at North Yorkshire County Council, said 252 workers have yet to receive a first vaccine dose and some staff in the already depleted workforce had now begun the process of leaving.

She said 13 staff have served notice to leave, while three have been redeployed and a further 12 are awaiting clinical exemption.

However, Ms Brooksbank added redeployment into other areas such as health services is “proving difficult” as the government has recently ended a consultation on compulsory vaccines for these workers as well as care staff.

She said: 

“This situation is likely to worsen the already critical staffing shortages across the county’s care sector.

“Adult social care is vitally important to our residents and we are pulling out all the stops to support the sector in every way possible during current challenges.

“We have done everything possible to communicate with all our care staff about the benefits of covid vaccination and to assuage any fears they may have.

“The county council along with other care providers as well as national government are next month launching a robust recruitment campaign in order to address the significant and growing pressures in the care system.”

Read more:

• Social care at ‘tipping point’ as staff shortages deepen with 1,000 vacancies
• Will compulsory care home vaccines cause staff shortages in Harrogate district?

Nationwide staff shortages have led to warnings from England’s care watchdog that there will be a “tsunami” of people without the care they need this winter unless action is taken.

The Care Quality Commission said in a recent report that staff are “exhausted and depleted” and that immediate action is needed to address the problem.

On Thursday, the government announced an extra £162.5 million to boost the adult social care workforce.

This is in addition to £5.4 billion earmarked for social care over the next three years from the government’s health and social care levy, which already includes £500 million to be spent on the workforce.

Compulsory vaccines for all health workers?

Meanwhile, the health secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday he was “leaning towards” making covid vaccines compulsory for health workers.

It is estimated around 100,000 NHS staff nationally have yet to get their first jab following the recent consultation into the matter.

At Harrogate hospital, around 350 frontline staff have not been fully vaccinated – representing just under 10% of the 3,598-strong workforce.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, previously said staff were being encouraged to take up the vaccine and that managers were speaking with these workers about their concerns.

She said: 

“We have encouraged and supported all our staff to be fully vaccinated against covid to keep themselves, their families, fellow colleagues and patients safe and improve our organisational resilience over what is likely to be a challenging winter.”