1,300 people waiting a year for operations at Harrogate hospital, says chief executive

Harrogate District Hospital has 1,300 people waiting more than a year for an operation.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said the number of patients waiting was a legacy from the covid pandemic.

The trust estimates that it currently has a total waiting list of 25,000 people – an increase of 7,000 before covid.

Mr Coulter said part of the reason for the increase is because the hospital halted some operations during the pandemic.

He told a Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency meeting of North Yorkshire County Council yesterday:

“We never ever had people waiting over a year for planned care at all in Harrogate.

“Most people were seen within four months. That was the majority.

“We now have 1,300 people waiting over a year for their operation or their treatment. We did go over two years in some cases, but that has now come down.”

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Mr Coulter told the meeting that the hospital expected to have no patient waiting more than a year for an operation by the end of 2023.

He added that the trust board had approved an increase in capacity at the hospital to help deal with the long waiting list.

The £14 million project will see two additional operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a 12-bed ward for patients who require extended stays in care built on the site.

The trust also hopes the project will help to “future proof” the hospital for a growth in population and changes in demographic in the district.

Mr Coulter said:

“We will be going through that process next year to get us some more capacity on the site.”

Plea for Harrogate hospital visitors to wear masks after people refuse to follow guidance

Health bosses have issued a plea to visitors to Harrogate District Hospital to wear face masks amid a growing number of people refusing to follow guidance.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said they had seen increasing number of people being verbally aggressive towards staff when they are asked to wear a face mask or replace one after removing it.

The plea comes as the hospital has warned that covid remains a “significant threat” and that it is seeing further admissions for the virus and flu going into winter.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, medical director at HDFT said: 

“We may no longer be at the height of the pandemic, but covid continues to be a threat for the people in our care and we must do all we can to protect them and the staff who look after them.

“Should a patient contract covid from a visitor, it can lead to a prolonged stay at the hospital due to the need for them isolate. This can impact on bed availability for people needing other forms of treatment.

“Wearing a face mask is simple to do and can make a real difference. If you are asked to wear a mask, please remember it is for the protection of the loved one you are visiting. We are merely asking visitors to follow mask wearing guidance in certain areas of our hospital and we will not tolerate aggressive or abusive behaviour towards our staff at HDFT.

“I would also encourage anyone who is eligible to get a covid booster and a flu vaccination to do so to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

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Visitors to inpatient wards are expected to wear masks as part of hospital guidance unless they are exempt.

The Harrogate district covid infection rate is currently 35 cases per 100,000 people.

Council awarded £2m to tackle bed blocking in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire County Council has been awarded £2 million to tackle bed blocking in hospitals.

The Department of Health and Social Care announced a £500 million fund to help speed up the discharge of patients across the country.

The county council, which is responsible for adult care, has been granted a total of £2,019,667 of this to increase its social care workforce and increase capacity to take on more patients from hospital.

Two months ago  Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said the problem of patients staying in hospital longer than they should because of a lack of private care services was the “biggest issue” the trust faced.

The government said local authorities and health trusts will be free to spend the money on initiatives which have the “greatest impact in their area on reducing discharges into social care”.

Helen Whately, Minister of State for Care, said:

“People should be cared for in the best place for them, but discharge delays mean patients are spending too long in hospital.

“Our discharge fund will get more people cared for in the right place at the right time. We’re asking hospitals and the social care system to work together to help patients and carers too, who often take on a lot of the burden of caring when someone leaves hospital.

“The discharge fund will boost the social care workforce and in turn reduce pressures on the NHS and hospital staff, as it frees up beds and helps improve ambulance handover delays.”

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Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has already sought to introduce a home care service to free up beds.

A spokesperson for the trust said previously:

“Currently, bed occupancy at our hospitals is around 90%. Due to the increased number of planned operations that are being performed we have more patients occupying beds following their surgery.

“However, bed occupancy is also impacted by patients who no longer require hospital care, but are unable to be discharged as they do not have a suitable location where they can continue their recovery, such as a residential care home, or appropriate home care to support them in their own homes.”

Harrogate hospital urges people to stay away from A&E amid ‘very busy’ week

Harrogate hospital bosses are urging people to stay away from its emergency department this week unless it is a life-threatening injury or illness.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said they are expecting a busy week, which may cause long waiting times.

It comes as health leaders in the district warned that covid and flu cases may increase at Harrogate hospital this winter.

In a statement, the trust urged people with non-threatening injuries to stay away from the emergency department.

A spokesperson said:

“This week we are expecting our hospital in Harrogate to be very busy. As a result, visitors to our emergency department with less urgent issues may experience longer waiting times than usual.

“We know that visitors to our emergency department can be in pain, stressed or scared, and our dedicated time will do everything they can to help.

“Your health is our utmost priority and all we ask in return is our staff are treated respectfully as they try to do their job.”

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Health managers in Harrogate have said they expect to see more covid patients in hospitals in the coming weeks.

Dr Bruce Willoughby, Harrogate GP and part of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said:

“Health and care services in North Yorkshire and York, like everywhere, are already extremely busy. We do expect to see more cases of covid in the coming weeks as people mix freely again and spend more time indoors as the weather gets colder. The risk of catching covid is highest indoors and in crowded places.

“More people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the pandemic. The best time to have the flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before it starts spreading.”

Officials have urged people who are eligible to get a covid booster vaccine this autumn.

In Harrogate, vaccinations are available at the Great Yorkshire Showground until November 23.

People aged 50 and over, pregnant women, carers, frontline health and care workers, care home residents and people of all ages who are vulnerable are eligible for a covid jab now.

Those who are able to book their vaccinations can do so via the NHS website.

‘Get jabbed’ plea as ‘wave of covid’ predicted in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire health bosses are urging people to get their flu and covid vaccines ahead of the winter period.

NHS officials say they are preparing for a busy winter of respiratory illnesses, which may overwhelm hospitals.

Dr Bruce Willoughby, Harrogate GP and part of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said he expected to see more cases of covid in hospitals in the coming weeks.

He said:

“Health and care services in North Yorkshire and York, like everywhere, are already extremely busy. We do expect to see more cases of covid in the coming weeks as people mix freely again and spend more time indoors as the weather gets colder. The risk of catching covid is highest indoors and in crowded places.

“More people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the pandemic. The best time to have the flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before it starts spreading. 

“You can help though. Your actions during the pandemic made an enormous difference and we need people to look out for each other in the same way again.”

Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, added that there was also a risk of a wave of flu hitting hospitals.

She said:

“We expect to see a wave of covid in North Yorkshire during October/November and possibly another in January.

“There’s also the risk of being hit with a wave of flu cases at the same time so it’s particularly important that people take up the offer of vaccinations as soon as they can.

“Please also remember the basics – hands, face, space and fresh air. They protect against covid, flu and lots of other nasty viruses that can make you feel quite unwell.”

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People aged 50 and over, pregnant women, carers, frontline health and care workers, care home residents and people of all ages who are vulnerable are eligible for a covid booster jab now.

Those who are able to book their vaccinations can do so via the NHS website.

Most groups are eligible for a flu vaccine and have been offered a free vaccine. People do not need to wait to be invited for a flu jab and can book at their GP surgery.

Harrogate hospital A&E performance remains ‘well below’ national standard

A&E waiting times performance at Harrogate District Hospital remains “well below” the national standard as health bosses urge people to only attend the department if necessary.

Latest figures show that the hospital had 4,554 attendances to its emergency department in August 2022.

The national standard for emergency department waiting times is to admit, transfer or discharge 95% of patients within four hours.

According to NHS England figures, 62% of patients were seen within that timeframe at Harrogate hospital.

Meanwhile, a total of 82 patients waited longer than 12 hours to be seen.

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In a report to its board, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said the performance remained “well below” the standard set nationally.

He said:

“The board should be aware that our A&E performance in August remained well below the national standard and we had a higher number of 12 hour waits in the department than in previous months.

“The situation has improved in September, but the changes that we have initiated and highlighted earlier need to be delivered in order for us to provide the improved urgent care service that we all want to have in place.”

Visiting the Emergency Department at Harrogate District Hospital pic.twitter.com/8cITeTrHkj

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) October 3, 2022

The move comes as the trust has urged people to only attend its emergency department if they have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury.

In a statement, the trust said it expected to see a high number of patients at A&E this week.

It said:

“This week we are expecting our hospital in Harrogate to be very busy. As a result, visitors to our emergency department with less serious issues may experience longer waiting times than usual.

“This isn’t ideal and we will endeavour to keep waiting times as short as possible.”

Have you experienced a long wait in Harrogate’s A&E department? We’d like to hear from you. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197. 

Harrogate hospital trust plans home care service to tackle bed blocking

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has revealed plans to become the second in the country to launch its own home care service in a bid to free up hospital beds.

Chief executive Jonathan Coulter said the problem of patients staying in hospital longer than they should because of a lack of private care services was the “biggest issue” that the trust currently faces.

Up to 90 patients were medically fit but could not leave Harrogate District Hospital in August, compared to around 20 before the covid pandemic.

The trust now wants to follow in the footsteps of the NHS in Northumbria and start providing care for patients in their own homes.

Russell Nightingale, chief operating officer at the trust, told a board meeting on Wednesday the move was a “huge change and big decision” for the trust, but one it had to take because the problem of bed blocking was “only going to get worse”.

He said: 

“If you are in a hospital bed and fit to leave but can’t, it is probably one of the worst places to be.

“In some instances, we have seen a degradation of people’s health in hospital beds when they do not need to be there, despite the great clinical service they receive.

“People want to be in their own homes as this is where they live and are comfortable.”

Mr Nightingale also said he was concerned the current situation would only get worse despite a recent government pledge of £500 million to help people get out of hospitals, which he described as a “drop in the ocean”.

Bed blocking has repeatedly been raised as a concern by hospital bosses who have warned of knock-on impacts on A&E waiting times.

This comes as Harrogate District Hospital has had an exceptionally busy summer and pressure on services is only likely to grow over winter as it tries to tackle long waiting lists and staffing shortages.

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The trust’s home care service will initially run as a six-month trial and cost around £146,000 to provide care for 36 patients.

If the trial is a success, it is estimated around 15 patients who otherwise would be stuck in hospital could be moved back into their own homes each day.

The trust – which already provides home care for some children – has been in dialogue with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust which this year became the first to launch such a scheme.

Some concerns have been raised over the high turnover of staff, as well the impact on the private care sector.

However, Wednesday’s meeting heard that care packages under the Harrogate plans would initially be offered to private care firms for 24 hours before the trust steps in.

More details of the scheme are set to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Council launches pilot scheme as escalating numbers of children are overweight

North Yorkshire County Council has reported an escalating number of overweight youngsters since axing a well-regarded scheme to help children and their families make positive changes to their diet.

A council report has revealed since Healthy Choices was abandoned due to government cuts in 2020, the county has had no weight management service for children and has seen annual rises in children with excess weight that have been “much higher than in previous years”.

After completing Healthy Choices, 80% of youngsters saw marked weight reductions.

In 2016, 21% of five-year-olds and about 30% of 11-year-olds in the county, significantly lower than the national average, were found to be living with excess weight.

However, a public health report has revealed these figures have since overtaken or moved close to the national average, with 29% of reception pupils and 38% of primary school leavers classed as overweight.

Although child weight statistics for different local authority areas for last year will not be published by the government until December, last year it was reported  obesity rates in both reception-aged and Year 6 children increased by around 4.5 percentage points between 2019-20 and 2020-21.

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Concerning the sharp rise in children with excess weight, the council report said: 

“There is a real need for families across the county to receive compassionate support to manage weight, eat well and move more.”

Such is the concern over the rise in children with excess weight since its Healthy Choices programme was abandoned two years ago that senior councillors and officers have agreed to pump up to £106,000 from its reserves to kick start a family weight management service.

The 18-month pilot service will utilise the county’s current successful service for adults to support adults who have dependents that need a holistic support for the whole family. It will also take referrals for children and young people through the National Child Measurement Programme and other health professional referral routes.

However, unlike Healthy Choices, which was delivered in children’s homes or at a local venue, the new service will be remote, with up to 12 phone or video calls.

The officer’s report states the service will be “more cost effective” than Healthy Choices, which cost £300,000 annually.

The authority’s executive member for health, Councillor Michael Harrison said since 2020, both locally and nationally there had been the largest rise in obese primary schoolchildren on record.

He said: 

“We have a good record on our adult weight management initiatives, with five per cent body weight reductions for those completing programme we offer, and that weight loss is sustained 24 weeks later.

“If these figures are going up there is an increasing number of people who are having their lives impacted by complications to their health in later years. As public health professionals it is right that we should try and something about it in a practical but compassionate way.”

Most Harrogate hospital operations to go ahead on Monday

The majority of planned operations at Harrogate District Hospital are set to go ahead on Monday.

Staff at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust have been contacting patients after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was made an official bank holiday.

The trust said that of 35 operations due to go ahead on Monday, 33 were still due to proceed.

Two non-urgent operations have been cancelled. The hospital said one was rescheduled on request of the patient.

The trust said in a statement:

“We are working hard to deliver as many of the appointments and operations that have been booked to take place on Monday, September 19, as possible.

“By the end of this week, we will contact anyone who has an appointment, endoscopy or operation on that date to let them know if it is going ahead as planned or not.

“We would ask anyone who might be affected to please wait for the call from out teams.”

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It comes as hospitals across the country have been told to contact patients ahead of the bank holiday to inform them of whether their appointments are going ahead.

In a letter to all English hospital trusts, Dr Ursula Montgomery, director of primary care at NHS England, said:

“For patients with planned appointments that are affected by the bank holiday, please ensure they are informed in advance of any changes by utilising direct patient communications. 

“Where planned appointments are going ahead it is important this is also confirmed with patients.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate private hospital joins forces with Mumsnet

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate has joined forces with parenting website Mumsnet to help women get answers to a range of gynaecology-related problems. 

The partnership gives Mumsnet users the chance to ask women’s health-related questions directly to one of the UK’s leading gynaecologists.

Dr Sujata Gupta is a consultant gynaecologist at Circle Health Group, the healthcare provider that runs the hospital. 

Historically the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological conditions have been challenging, with women often left waiting years for a diagnosis, or in some cases never receiving a clear answer.

Dr Gupta hopes the campaign will empower women to better understand their health.

She said:

“Thousands of women in Yorkshire struggle with the effects of a gynaecological condition and yet often go undiagnosed for years.

“The greatest challenge is often finding the right information, or the feeling of embarrassment that comes suffering with this type of condition.

“This has a dramatic impact on how women engage with healthcare professionals and ultimately prevents them from asking the appropriate questions and getting the diagnosis they need.”

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Event to help businesses become menopause-friendly

Community organisation Mylifepool Harrogate will host an event for businesses to learn more about how to become more menopause-friendly.

It will coincide with World Menopause Day on October 18, which raises awareness of the menopause and the support options available.

The event will take place at Crowne Plaza in Harrogate and promises an evening of “no-nonsense advice” about menopause in the workplace.

Tickets cost £4 and there is a 20% discount on food and drink at the hotel.

For more information on topics covered, and to book, visit here.