Nominations for Harrogate hospital trust governor elections open

Nominations have opened to elect governors to Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust are seeking nominations from members of the public who are interested in representing three constituencies in Harrogate and surrounding villages;  Wetherby & Harewood, Alwoodley, Adel & Wharfedale, and Otley and Yeadon; and Ripon & West District.

Currently, the Council of Governors comprises 26 governors, consisting of 14 public members, six staff classes, and six partner/stakeholder organisations, such as North Yorkshire Council.

Governors provide a vital link between the public, staff and partner organisations, representing the views and interests of local people and making sure they are considered by the trust’s board of directors.

Sarah Armstrong, chair of the trust, said: 

“Our governors play an essential role, providing a bridge between our members, our community and our Board. They help shape our Trust’s future direction and the services we provide.

“Governors serve a term of three years and have key responsibilities including liaising with the Board of Directors and collectively holding them to account for the performance of the Trust.

“They are involved in the appointment of the Non-Executive Directors on the Board of Directors, and helping us to develop our membership.

“They are also responsible for regularly feeding back information about our Trust, its vision and its performance to the constituencies and stakeholder organisations that elected and/or nominated them.

“HDFT is committed to providing the best possible healthcare service for our community and we have a number of exciting projects over the next few years which will help us to further improve on the service we offer. It is an exciting time for our Trust and we would love to hear from anyone interested in becoming a governor.”

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Nominations close on Monday, June 5, and elections will open on Friday, June 23, when voting packs will be dispatched to members.

The final day of voting will be Thursday, July 13, with declaration of results taking place on Friday, July 14.

Anyone interested in standing can obtain more information and a nomination form by visiting www.cesvotes.com/hdft2023, calling 0208 889 9203 or emailing ftnominationenquiries@cesvotes.com.

To be eligible to stand in the elections, nominees need to be over 16, reside in the constituency they wish to represent and be a member of the Trust. It is free to join and an application form is available on the trust’s website.

Pure Gym to open in Knaresborough tomorrow

Pure Gym is to open its newest gym in Knaresborough tomorrow.

The gym, which will employ nine staff, will be open from 6am to 10pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.

It will provide about 40 classes a week free to members.

It has 220 pieces of equipment, a functional zone, a free weights area, cardio equipment and a fitness studio. Certified PTs will be available to help.

Based on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on York Road, the gym will welcome its first customers at midday tomorrow.

A typical Pure Gym layout. Pic: James McCauley

A Pure Gym spokesperson said:

“Our newest gym will offer members high-quality, low-cost fitness facilities and provide them with access to state-of-the-art equipment to use to achieve their fitness goals whenever they choose.”

Tomorrow’s opening means Knaresborough and Harrogate will both have Pure Gyms — but not Ripon. The Stray Ferret asked the company if it had any plans t open in the city.

The spokesperson said:

“We are always on the lookout for new sites that will enable us to provide as many people as possible with access to affordable, flexible fitness.

“We currently don’t have any concrete plans for a site in Ripon, but will continue to keep an eye out for potential locations for our next Pure Gym.”

Pure Gym was launched in 2009 and now has 1.2 million members and 340 UK clubs.

It is majority owned by American private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners.

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More Harrogate covid vaccine clinics to be available amid travel concerns

Health bosses in North Yorkshire have said more covid vaccine appointments will be available for Harrogate residents amid concern over a lack of clinics.

Officials at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said three pharmacies in Harrogate have been holding appointments for those eligible for a spring booster vaccine.

However, residents have contacted the Stray Ferret over concerns that the NHS booking website only showed clinics in West Yorkshire.

Currently, those who are vulnerable and over-75 are eligible for an appointment.

Those who wish to book a vaccine have to do so through the NHS website or by calling 119.

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But, residents in Harrogate who have tried to book a booster vaccine have found appointments are only available in Bradford or Leeds.

NHS officials said much of the vaccine campaign has been focused on those in care homes or who are housebound.

However, they added more local appointments should become available “over the next two or three weeks” to those who are eligible and will mostly be in GPs and pharmacies.

In response to the concern over travel, a spokesperson for Humber and North Yorkshire ICB said:

“Three pharmacies in Harrogate have had appointments available through the NHS National Booking Service and have been actively delivering clinics.

“However, over the next two to three weeks, patients in Harrogate who are eligible for their COVID spring booster should have access to more local appointments when they visit the online NHS National Booking Service or contact NHS 119.

“With GP practices in the Harrogate district mainly concentrating their efforts on delivering vaccines to care home residents and patients who are housebound, clinics for over 75s and those who are immunosuppressed will mostly be delivered by community pharmacy teams, though some GP practices will be running clinics for their eligible patients and they will be contacted directly when it’s their turn.

“The Spring campaign commenced on 3 April for all care home residents, housebound and immunosuppressed patients in line with JCVI guidance. All other over 75s became eligible for vaccination w/c 17 April and we are confident everyone who’s eligible will be able to receive a vaccination prior to the end of June when this campaign ends.”

Those are eligible for a spring covid booster are advised to check the NHS booking service online or call 119, if travelling is an issue.

More information on covid vaccine appointments can be found on the NHS England website here.

Sharp rise in overseas nurses recruited at Harrogate hospital

The number of nurses recruited from overseas to work at Harrogate District Hospital has jumped from fewer than five in 2017 to 31 last year, figures show.

Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust, like many health trusts across the country, has increasingly relied on overseas workers to plug the gap left by UK-based nurses leaving the profession.

Recruitment within the NHS has been highlighted recently by the striking nurses’ union the Royal College of Nursing. It has said low pay and working conditions are leading to a “mass exodus” of young nurses from hospitals.

A report published by the royal college in February found that between 2018 and 2022, nearly 43,000 people aged 21 to 50 left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register.

Figures on overseas nurses at Harrogate hospital. Data: Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A freedom of information request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service found that 31 nurses were recruited from overseas last year, which is almost three times higher than the figure for 2021.

The figures also show 10 doctors were recruited last year from abroad.

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Since 2017, the trust has recruited nurses from India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and the USA but a trust spokesperson said the number makes up a small number of its total workforce.

The social care sector has also looked to employ more overseas workers to help ease a well-documented staffing crisis, with North Yorkshire Council recently bringing in over 30 care professionals from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“Recruitment from outside of the UK is an important part of the workforce supply strategy of NHS organisations, including HDFT. Recruiting internationally enhances our workforce with different skills, experience, expertise and perspectives.

“Whilst the majority of our workforce are employed from within the UK, we have an active programme of recruiting nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals from overseas, which complements our national recruitment activity as well as supporting the development of a multicultural workforce more representative of the people we serve.

“To ensure ethical recruitment, we do this work in collaboration with other NHS organisations. For instance, we are in partnership with the Kerala Government in India for nursing and allied health professional recruitment via the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.

“Staff members who have been recruited from overseas have stayed in Harrogate to continue their careers in the NHS and are a valued part of our workforce, and we will continue to recruit internationally in the future.

“Whilst overseas recruitment has grown over the last few years in a number of areas, it still remains a small part of our recruitment activity.

“We value every member of our workforce and the important role they play in providing a health care service that we can all be proud of.”

Almost 500 appointments cancelled at Harrogate hospital due to junior doctors’ strike

Last week’s junior doctors’ strike led to 470 appointments and 21 operations being cancelled and rescheduled at Harrogate District Hospital.

It was the second round of industrial action undertaken by members of the British Medical Association union this year and saw junior doctors strike over pay for an unprecedented four days.

Nationally, it’s estimated more than 190,000 appointments had to be cancelled last week.

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

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson described what impact the strikes had at the Lancaster Park Road hospital.

They said:

“During the recent junior doctors’ industrial action, our focus was to maintain safe patient care and ensure emergency services would continue to operate.

“A number of clinical colleagues were freed up from activities, such as outpatient clinics and theatre sessions, to support emergency cover of our wards and departments which were impacted by the strike.

“Some planned, non-urgent treatment, including 470 outpatient appointments and 21 elective operations, needed to be rescheduled. The postponed appointments and treatments are being rescheduled as a priority so that that our patients can be seen as soon as possible.

“We appreciate this situation is frustrating for those affected and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

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.

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It is asking for a pay-rise of 35%, which it says will reverse 15 years of real-term cuts.

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.”

Health secretary Steve Barclay said the number of cancelled appointments and operations last week was “deeply disappointing”.

He said:

“We remain ready to start formal talks with the BMA as soon as the union pauses its strikes and moves significantly from its unrealistic position of demanding a 35% pay increase – which would result in some junior doctors receiving a pay rise of £20,000.”

More NHS strikes

Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital are set to take part in two days of industrial action over the upcoming May bank holiday.

The strike will take place from 8pm on Sunday, April 30, to 8pm on Tuesday, May 2.

Unlike the two previous Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strikes at the hospital on Lancaster Park Road this year, it will involve nurses working in emergency departments, intensive care, cancer and other wards.

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.

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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.

Junior doctors set for 96-hour strike at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital is braced for further disruption as junior doctors prepare for a 96-hour walk-out next month.

The British Medical Association announced members will strike from 7am on Tuesday, April 11, until 7am on Saturday, April 15.

Junior doctors are walking out in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Both the BMA and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association are calling for a 26% pay increase, which they claim will “reverse the steep decline in pay faced by junior doctors since 2008/9”.

Junior doctors at Harrogate hospital formed a large picket line on Wetherby Road as part of a 72-hour walkout on March 13.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctor committee, said:

“It is with disappointment and great frustration that we must announce this new industrial action.

“The government has dragged its feet at every opportunity. It has not presented any credible offer and is refusing to accept that there is any case for pay restoration, describing our central ask as ‘unrealistic’ and ‘unreasonable’.

“Even yesterday they continued to add new unacceptable preconditions to talks instead of getting on and trying to find a resolution.”

A statement from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We are working hard to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate as normal.

“We are currently developing our plans for the propose action and its impact on our services, patients or staff.

“Outpatients appointments and planned activity may be affected. Patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule. We will be re-arranging any postponed appointments as a priority. We appreciate this situation is frustrating for patients affected and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes, and key services will continue to operate.”

You can read the full statement on the trust’s website here.

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Harrogate hospital trust spends £9m on agency staff

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has spent £9 million on agency staff costs this year.

The figure covers staffing in areas such as nursing, dental and clinical support staff.

The trust set a target to spend no more than £473,000 each month on agencies — the equivalent of a maximum of £5.7 million over the year.

However, according to board papers, the trust has spent £9.8 million on agency staff – £4.1 million more than its target spend for the year.

In January alone, the hospital spent more than £1 million on agency staff.

HDFT agency staff spending per month. Table: HDFT.

HDFT agency staff spending per month. Table: HDFT.

It comes as Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds North West and the party’s shadow environment minister, described Harrogate hospital’s reliance on agencies as “a disgrace”.

He told the House of Commons last month that a constituent called Marjorie Dunn spent just over seven weeks at the hospital last year.

Mr Sobel said:

“In that time she saw NHS nurses leave the service and she was treated predominantly by agency staff — mistreated, I have to say, by agency staff. It is a disgrace.

“When she was eventually moved to a recovery hub run by Leeds City Council she got excellent treatment there.

“She had broken her pelvis and been told she would never walk again, but it was the council physiotherapist who got her up and walking again. Is it not right that we should be supporting local authorities such as Labour-run Leeds to get such facilities as well as the NHS?”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust for comment.

A spokesperson said previously:

“We pride ourselves on providing the best possible standards of care for our patients, wherever that care may be being delivered. On the rare occasions when this has fallen below our expectations or those of our patients, we have procedures in place to identify this and ensure we continuously improve.

“Workforce challenges in the NHS are well documented. As a trust, we monitor recruitment, retention, turnover and staff wellbeing closely and have a bank of the trust’s own nursing staff, who are available to support where we have short- term absence. These staff are familiar with Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and our standards of care.

“On occasion, we do need to use the services of agencies to support nursing gaps, however we expect all staff working at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to provide the same standards of care for our patients, and we will address this if it is found not to be the case.”

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Inspectors says Harrogate hospital maternity services ‘requires improvement’

Health inspectors have rated Harrogate District Hospital’s maternity services as ‘requires improvement’.

The Care Quality Commission, which inspects hospitals and health services, published its verdict in a report on Friday after an inspection in November 2022.

The CQC visited the hospital as part of a national inspection of maternity services.

Harrogate District Hospital was previously rated ‘good’ in a 2016 inspection that looked at maternity services and gynaecology. This latest report was the first time maternity services were rated as standalone services.

The four possible outcomes are ‘outstanding’. ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ and ‘inadequate’.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said it was “difficult to understand” the change in the rating.

The CQC report said “compliance with appropriate safeguarding, life support training and medicines did not meet targets” although it acknowledged “there was a plan in place to recover this position”.

It added that the number of medical staff on hand “were not always sufficient” and there was no clear system in place to “to identify prioritise risks to women in the maternity assessment area”.

Regular checks on life saving equipment “were not always completed”, the report said.

Inspectors said staff at the service “did not always receive and keep up to date” with mandatory training.

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However, the CQC did find the service had enough midwifery staff to care for women and that staff worked well together.

It added:

“Staff had training in key skills, and worked well together for the benefit of women, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well.

“Staff assessed risks to women in most areas, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.”

‘Not a fair reflection’

In response to the report, Mr Coulter said he did not feel that the findings in the report were a reflection of the service at the hospital.

He said:

“With such positive findings in the CQC report it is difficult to understand the resultant rating change and we do not feel it is a fair reflection of the maternity service we provide. The report describes a maternity unit which is fully staffed, with a positive culture, with staff that are competent, listen to women and are always seeking to improve. 

“We are proud of our team for the dedication, professionalism and caring attitude that they show each day whilst supporting those in our care. We are disappointed the rating applied to the service overall and for the safe domain does not appear to reflect the findings in the report.

“Whatever the rating in this report, our response will be to focus on learning and improvement, as it is for any external or internal service review. 

“As part of this focus on continually improving our services, we prioritise listening and learning to ensure we can provide the high quality care that our patients deserve. Listening to people who use our maternity services is so important, as we completely understand that peoples’ experience can differ. 

“This is why, in addition to our own improvement work, we work in partnership with our Maternity Voices Partnership who provide another valuable way for us to hear the needs of those using our services.”

County council plans programme to tackle children being ‘enticed’ to vape

A public health boss has revealed how an educational programme to counter the social media marketing of vaping products to children was being developed, amid growing concerns about the number of youngsters being “enticed” into using e-cigarettes.

Cllr Michael Harrison, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for health and adult services, announced the move following the leader of Selby District Council questioning what action could be taken to reverse an apparent escalation in children vaping.

Cllr Mark Crane told a meeting of the county authority he was seeing more and more young people using vaping products, adding: 

“I see them in school uniforms and I also see ones that seem very young to me.”

A NHS survey in 2013 of 10,000 children found three per cent of children aged 11 to 15 had vaped, but last year the figure had risen to 10%.

Cllr Crane was speaking days after England’s chief medical officer called for a clampdown on firms who use social media sites, such as Tik Tok, to market colourful e-cigarettes with flavours such as pink lemonade and strawberry, banana and mango to youngsters.

Sir Chris Whitty told MPs it was beyond doubt that firms were designing vapes to appeal to children, branding their actions “appalling”.

It is believed e-cigarettes have increased in popularity with children due to their relatively low cost, bright colours and fruit flavours.

Last month, the leader of neighbouring council Stockton, Councillor Bob Cook said the authority would lobby for more regulation on vaping following concerns over growing under-age use of the products.

Meanwhile, Dr Elizabeth Garthwaite, a kidney specialist and clinical director at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, has told teenagers at Ripon Grammar School that an increasing numbers of young people were presenting to hospital with problems associated with addiction and vaping.

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She said while vaping products were initially designed as a nicotine replacement to help smokers break their addiction, vaping was far from harmless.

Cllr Harrison said there was “certainly something national government could do” to tackle the marketing, but the council was intent on educating people about the dangers of vaping.

He said: 

“It is illegal to sell vape materials to under-18s, but it is clear that there is marketing going on that is enticing under-18s to take up vaping…”

The meeting was told the authority’s public health team were working on a programme of education and awareness which would be rolled out across our schools and young people in the coming months.

Cllr Harrison said the authority recognised the place of e-cigarettes in helping people to give up smoking, but the council’s educational campaign would stress that neither habit was healthy.

Underlining the scale of the challenge to educate young people, he added: 

“You are fighting a battle if there’s advertising that is more prevalent on social media than mainstream media.”