Harrogate hospital A&E waiting times improve but strikes loom

Accident and emergency department waiting times at Harrogate District Hospital have improved since the Christmas peak but the hospital remains under “considerable pressure” with almost no unoccupied beds available and two days of strike action expected next week.

A challenging winter at the hospital on Lancaster Park Road has seen a higher than average number of admissions to its A&E department as well as a fresh wave of covid and flu inpatients.

The hospital will be under further pressure on January 18 and 19 when members of the Royal College of Nurses strike over pay and conditions.

Workers at Yorkshire Ambulance Service are also expected to walk out today as part of a 24-hour strike.

Members of the royal college who work for Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust are on the list for the second wave of action in an escalation of its pay dispute with the government.

Two days of strikes were held in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on December 15 and 20 but Harrogate nurses did not take part.

Visitors to A&E have experienced long waiting times as healthcare staff have prioritised patients with serious and life-threatening conditions.

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Between December 19 and January 1 a total of 1,993 people attended A&E, an average of 142 a day.

Of these, 524 were then admitted to the hospital for further treatment.

However, since the new year the average number of daily visitors to A&E has fallen to 127, helping to reduce waiting times and ease the burden on under-pressure staff.

The overall situation at the hospital also worsened due to the high number of beds filled with patients suffering with covid but since January 4 that figure has fallen from 22 to 17.

The number of patients with flu has also dropped to single digits from over 30 last week.

A trust spokesperson said the fall in covid and flu patients has “made flow through our hospitals a little easier”.

To further ease pressure at A+E, the hospital recently introduced a new “streaming model” for minor injuries so staff can focus on patients with more serious conditions.

Last Friday, the hospital had its largest-ever discharge day with 81 patients returning to their homes or care home.

The spokesperson said: 

“We would like to thank everyone involved at HDFT and our partners in social care who helped us which made the weekend a lot easier.”

Two free beds

But despite an improving situation with more free beds in certain wards, the spokesperson said that yesterday there was just two unoccupied beds out of 298.

They added there are still many patients who are able to return home but cannot as they are waiting to be placed into a care home or home.

The spokesperson said:

“We would ask for the families of patients to help us support their loved one’s discharge home as soon as their medical condition allows.

“For people who require medical assistance and are considering visiting our emergency department, unless it’s a life-threatening or severe illness or injury, we would ask them to contact NHS 111 first either by calling or going online. The NHS will help them right away and if they need urgent care, the NHS can book them in to be seen quickly and safely.

“People with life-threatening illnesses or injuries should continue to dial 999 and anyone who arrives at A&E without calling NHS 111 will still receive medical care, with those needing emergency treatment prioritised.”

500 Harrogate hospital staff apply for cost-of-living hardship fund

Around 500 Harrogate District Hospital staff have applied for a cost-of-living hardship fund, which has been described as a “signal” of the financial pressure that healthcare workers are under.

Anyone employed by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) or Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF) is eligible to apply for a one-off £500 payment. A panel meets each week to consider applications.

The number of people who have applied for the payment was revealed yesterday by HDFT acting chief executive Jonathan Coulter at the trust’s monthly board of directors meeting in Harrogate.

Between HDFT and HIF, there are around 5,000 staff, with the number of hardship fund applications indicating around 10% are currently struggling financially due to increased fuel, food and energy costs.

Mr Coulter said:

“It is a signal of some of the difficulties some of our colleagues are under in terms of the national situation. We will continue to watch out for those people.”

Other initiatives available for staff include being able to sell holiday entitlements to earn extra money. The trust also advises how to use food banks and provides information on managing finances.

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At a meeting in September, Wallace Sampson, hospital trust board member and chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council, said he had “mixed feelings” about staff being able to sell annual leave as he believes it is “very much needed” to help with their wellbeing.

The number of staff struggling to make ends meet comes at a time when nurses are preparing to strike for the first time in over 100 years.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is asking for a 19% pay rise but the government says this is unaffordable.

Harrogate members of the RCN voted to strike but Mr Coulter said that Harrogate is not on the list for the first wave of action on December 15th and December 20th.

Mr Coulter added:

“We will continue to support colleagues and support trade unions. 

“It’s important that we do value our colleagues in terms of national negotiations or pay awards and we recognise the link between how people feel and are recognised with the ability to recruit and retain staff. We will watch this space but there won’t be any [industrial] action before Christmas.”

No walkout at Harrogate hospital as part of nurses strike

No strikes will take place at Harrogate District Hospital next month when nurses stage a national walkout.

The Royal College of Nursing will carry out industrial action at hospitals across the UK over a dispute over pay with the government on December 15 and 20.

Locally, staff will strike at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Leeds Community Healthcare Trust. However, no action will be taken at Harrogate in this round of strikes.

Members of the union will walkout at half of the locations in England where the legal mandate for strikes was secured in November.

However, the RCN has warned that more staff could take industrial action in January if negotiations with government are not held.

A spokesperson for the union told the Stray Ferret last week that the dates in December were the first phase of strikes and more could be carried out if an agreement is not reached.

They said:

“Not all members at employers where there is a mandate to strike will be called to strike on these first two dates.

“Phase one could be just the beginning of a longer period of strike action.”

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Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust have pledged “minimal disruption” should any walkout take place at future strikes.

A spokesperson for HDFT said:

“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering world class patient care to all those who need it.

“We understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.

“We are working to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate as normal should any strike action take place, and have tried and tested plans in place to manage any disruption.”

A list of health trusts affected by strikes is available here.

 

Harrogate hospital pledges ‘minimal disruption’ as nurses’ strike looms

People who need care at Harrogate hospital should continue to come forward despite the threat of industrial action, health officials have said.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said it has yet to be notified officially that its nursing staff will strike next month.

It comes as the Royal College of Nursing confirmed a national walkout will take place on December 15 and 20 over a pay dispute with the government.

A spokesperson for the RCN told the Stray Ferret exact locations for the strikes will be revealed next week and that next month will be the first phase of industrial action.

They added:

“Not all members at employers where there is a mandate to strike will be called to strike on these first two dates. 

“Phase one could be just the beginning of a longer period of strike action.”

Despite the threat of a walkout, officials at Harrogate hospital have urged people to continue to come forward for care if they require it.

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The trust said that those who have an operation on the planned strike days will be notified if their treatment is affected.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering world class patient care to all those who need it.

“We understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.

“We are working to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate as normal should any strike action take place, and have tried and tested plans in place to manage any disruption.

“We are committed to keeping disruption to services to a minimum, and any members of the public that need care should continue to come forward as normal.

“If you have an appointment or operation that is scheduled on a proposed strike day we would kindly ask you to be patient and we will notify you as soon as possible if strike action at HDFT is confirmed and your treatment will be affected.”

Harrogate district nurses vote to strike

Nursing staff in the Harrogate district have voted to go on strike over pay and patient safety concerns.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust nurses were among those from many trusts in England that voted to strike, the Royal College of Nursing said today.

A spokesman for the trust said it would be for the union to decide when a strike will take place.

Many of the biggest hospitals in England will see strikes by RCN members but others narrowly missed the legal turnout thresholds to qualify for action.

This is the first statutory ballot on industrial action across the UK in the 106-year history of the RCN.

Industrial action is expected to begin before the end of this year and the RCN’s mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after members finished voting.

Nursing staff were balloted following NHS Agenda for Change pay announcements this year. The RCN said in a statement this left experienced nurses 20 per cent worse off in real-terms compared to ten years earlier.

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RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said:

“Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough. The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.

“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this. While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.”

England Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he “deeply regretted” some union members had voted for action and said the government’s priority was “keeping patients safe during any strikes”. He added:

“The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.”