vaccine Archives - Page 7 of 9

Harrogate people don’t have to travel to York for vaccine, say health bosses

People in the Harrogate district waiting for a covid vaccine have been told they can wait for an invite to the Great Yorkshire Showground instead of travelling to York.

The Stray Ferret has received numerous messages from readers asking why they had been invited to be inoculated in York when they lived much closer to the showground.

Health bosses in North Yorkshire confirmed yesterday some people had been offered jabs at the national vaccination hub at Askham Bar in York, which opened on Monday.

The hub is run by the NHS nationally and sends invites to people within a 45-minute drive.

People in priority groups for the first round of vaccinations may also be invited through the national booking system to receive the jab at a pharmacy.

However, Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a North Yorkshire Resilience Forum yesterday that patients were not obliged to travel to York for the vaccine.

She said:

“The way that the site is operating is that anybody within a 45-minute drive of the site who has not yet received a vaccination through their local site may receive a letter from the national team to book an appointment.

“If you do get an invitation to that site, you can choose to wait and book an appointment at your local vaccination site.”

Currently, the Harrogate district is served by a local site at the Great Yorkshire Showground and a national hub at York.

Ms Bloor announced yesterday that a further site will be opened in Ripon. However, a location has yet to be confirmed.

The York hub was among 10 sites across the country to open on Monday in an effort to ramp up the vaccination programme.

It will operate seven days a week from 8am until 8pm, subject to the supply of vaccinations.

Professor Mike Holmes, a GP in York, told a City of York Council Executive meeting last week that the new centre will offer up to 8,000 extra appointments in the first phase of the expansion of the site.

The centre became the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to be set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Ripon to get its own coronavirus vaccination site

Ripon is to get its own coronavirus vaccination site, North Yorkshire health bosses revealed today.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said a site would be set up in the city.

However, a location has yet to be confirmed.

It comes days after councillors on Ripon City Council called for a vaccination site for the city and surrounding areas earlier.

They suggested Hugh Ripley Hall would be a suitable location.

Councillors said it was “unacceptable” for older people to have to travel to Harrogate or York, particularly as the government has pledged nobody should have to travel further than 10 miles for inoculations.

Ms Bloor told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of emergency agencies, the CCG would continue to look at whether further sites were needed in the county.

Hugh Ripley Hall, which Ripon councillors have offered for use as a covid vaccination centre.

She said:

“We are continuing to review whether further may be needed, particularly given the availability of a more mobile vaccine in the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“I am pleased to say that subject to final checks and NHS England approval, we do now have plans in place to open a site in Ripon in the next week or so.”

Meanwhile, Ms Bloor said residents in the district may also be invited to a new national vaccination hub at Askham Bar in York.

She said:

“The way that the site is operating is that anybody within a 45 minute drive of the site who has not yet received a vaccination through their local site may receive a letter from the national team to book an appointment.”

However, she added patients could wait for a local invite if they received a letter from the York hub and could not attend.

The site opened on Monday and will operate seven days a week from 8am until 8pm.

The centre became the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to be set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

All Harrogate district care homes to get vaccine this week

All care home residents and staff in North Yorkshire will be given the coronavirus vaccine before the end of this week, health bosses said today.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said officials expected to meet the target of January 24 set out in the organisation’s vaccination programme.

It comes as the government set a target of February 15 to offer vaccines to all those in high priority groups.

Ms Bloor told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies:

“I am pleased to say that thanks to the tremendous effort from all of our colleagues delivering the vaccination programme, we are on course to deliver vaccination to all care home residents and staff by the end of this week.”

She added that the goal would be met “where it is clinically safe to do so” and provided there is “no disruption this week to the scheduled supplies that we have got and that we are expecting”.

Ms Bloor said officials were also making “good progress” towards vaccinating all healthcare workers by the end of the month as well as the February target set by the government for all priority groups.

Nationally, 4.1 million people have received the vaccine so far.

Of that figure, 633,837 people in the North East and Yorkshire have had the first dose and 71,332 the second dose.

No data for the amount of people who have been vaccinated specifically in the Harrogate district is currently available.

At the moment, vaccinations are being offered to those in the highest priority groups. Those over 70 are expected to receive invites to have their vaccine this week.

Vaccinations in the Harrogate district are being administered at the Great Yorkshire Showground. However, a mass vaccination hub opened on Monday in York, which offers jabs to those within a 45 minute distance.

Health officials have urged people in the Harrogate district and across North Yorkshire to be patient as they roll out the vaccine.

Could you volunteer to drive people to vaccination appointments?

A Harrogate charity is calling for more volunteers to come forward to drive patients to coronavirus vaccine appointments.

Harrogate and District Community Action has a small team of volunteers helping people who would otherwise struggle to get to their appointments.

The volunteers work with Harrogate Easier Living Project, which is part of HADCA, to offer the service.

Frances Elliot, chief executive at HADCA, said the team now needed more volunteers after huge interest in the programme.

She said:

“We urgently require more volunteer drivers to join our small team. Applicants would need to be in possession of a DBS check less than two years old.

“All volunteers are being trained in the new covid guidelines to ensure we can offer a safe and trusted service.”

It comes as the government’s covid vaccination programme is set to offer jabs to over 70s this week. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set a target of February 15 to offer all those in the top four priority vulnerable groups the vaccine.

Vaccinations in the Harrogate district are being administered at the Great Yorkshire Showground. However, a mass vaccination hub has opened today in York, which offers jabs to those within a 45 minute distance.

HADCA’s appeal for volunteers comes as the charity celebrates carrying out 5,000 tasks in the community to help people stay safe at home during the pandemic.

The HELP team has offered practical and emotional help to people since the coronavirus crisis began in March.

HELP team members celebrate the milestone of completing 5,000 tasks for those in need in the Harrogate community.

Nadine Bleasby, one of the volunteers, said it felt important to help her community, no matter how small the task. She said:

“It was the first time I’d done something like this, but I figured I could easily manage a couple of extra supermarket trips a week to help out people currently not able to do so and I think I’ve taken in all of Harrogate’s supermarkets over the last nine months.

“I’ve met some lovely people, some on an ad-hoc basis, and others I’ve got to know a little better as I’ve shopped more regularly for them.

“It’s not really about the shopping though, it’s about human contact and taking the time for a conversation and seeing how people are coping. That has been the unexpected but heart-warming element, simply having a chat.”

To volunteer for HADCA’s driving force and other services, contact help@hadca.org.uk or call 01423 813096.

York vaccination site to offer jabs to people within 45 minutes travel

A national mass vaccination hub is set to open in York which will offer coronavirus vaccines for people who live within a 45 minute travel time of the city.

The centre will be opened at Moor Lane car park in the city and first vaccinations are set to be given on Monday.

Nimbuscare, an organisation representing 11 GP practices in York, will run the centre. The NHS will send out letters to invite people for appointments.

The site will become the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Currently, vaccines are being offered to people in the Harrogate district at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Professor Mike Holmes, a GP in York, told a City of York Council Executive meeting yesterday that the new centre will offer up to 8,000 extra appointments in its first phase of the expansion of the site.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson set a target for all the high priority groups to be offered a vaccine by February 15.

The rollout of the programme will see mass vaccination centres set up across the country.

But, a local care boss in Harrogate said the lack of communication on the programme has left her “frustrated”.

Health officials have urged people in the Harrogate district and across North Yorkshire to be patient as they rollout the vaccine.

Harrogate care boss ‘frustrated’ at vaccine rollout

The chief executive of a care charity in the Harrogate district has spoken of her frustration over the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

Care home residents and staff are classed as high risk groups and are among the first to be vaccinated as part of the national programme.

The government has set a target of February 15 to offer the vaccine to all vulnerable groups.

But Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, which provides accommodation for older people, has said so far no residents or staff at its premises have been vaccinated.

Harrogate Neighbours operates Heath Lodge on Pannal Ash Road and the Cuttings on Station View.

Ms Cawthray told the Stray Ferret she understood GPs were under pressure but the lack of communication was frustrating.

She said:

“Personally, I think the whole vaccine thing is a bit of a nightmare. None of us have had it yet. We’ve got a handful of people at the Cuttings who have got appointments at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

“The vaccine only arrived in Yorkshire on Thursday so I’ve got to give them a chance. I’ve been told they’re giving it to the larger care homes first. When they had the first vaccine, they did that because of the way it came in quantities and had to be used quickly or it was thrown away.

“The GPs are under so much pressure anyway. People are still ill with other bugs. They’ve just finished doing flu vaccines and now they’ve got this to do. Part of me feels sorry for them because it’s such a big undertaking for them.

“The communication is really bad still. Everything comes out late. We’re just finding it frustrating. We were asked way before Christmas for lists and forms ready to receive the vaccine. Now here we are in mid-January and we’ve not even had a phone call.”

According to North Yorkshire County Council figures today, 79 out of 235 North Yorkshire care settings, which includes care homes and extra care facilities, has one or more covid cases among residents of staff.

Health chiefs have urged care homes to be vigilant over visits from family and friends, even with the vaccine rollout.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult care at the authority, said:

“Though it’s hard with a new lockdown, the vaccines have arrived and in the coming weeks and months more and more people in our settings will have much greater protection against the virus.

“But for now, we have to assume that the new, more transmissible variant of covid is in our county so, although everybody is tired, we must redouble our efforts to stay safe and to protect our care home residents and staff. Above all we must all stay vigilant with facemasks, hand washing and social distancing.”

Mr Webb added he has also asked care homes to be patient on the rollout of the vaccine.

“My main message to providers today is please be patient. The vaccination will be made available to people using your services and to your staff and this will happen in the coming weeks as more doses of the different vaccines become available. It is better that the vaccination programme is implemented in a safe way, than rushed.

“Local NHS colleagues are working around the clock and, as soon as the national distribution system delivers new vaccine batches to North Yorkshire, they will be contacting people to vaccinate them. In most cases, GPs and their teams will be contacting you. However, in some cases, your local hospital may also offer vaccinations to staff and to people using services.”

Parts of Harrogate district miss out on vaccine centre pledge

Those north of Ripon and living in large parts of Nidderdale are missing out on the government’s vaccine centre pledge.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised that everyone will be within 10 miles of a vaccine centre, but there is still work to do in North Yorkshire.

A map released as part of the UK Covid-19 vaccines delivery plan shows that, while there are two centres in Harrogate, there are no places to get a jab in Ripon or Nidderdale.

Residents in Masham currently have to travel to Leyburn or Northallerton if the NHS calls upon them to be vaccinated.

With the elderly and vulnerable first in line for a vaccine, the government believes that it is important they do not have to travel far.

96% of England’s population currently has a vaccine centre within 10 miles but the government hopes to increase that to 100% by the end of January.

Its vaccine delivery plan outlines how 206 hospital hubs, 1,200 local vaccination sites and 50 large vaccination centres should be able to make that a reality.

The plan also reveals how in “highly rural areas,” where public transport is an issue, the local vaccination centre will be a mobile unit.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a government press conference yesterday:

“The third part of the plan is expanding where you can get vaccinated. As of Friday, 96% of the population in England lived within 10 miles of a vaccination site and we’re expanding the number of vaccination sites further, right across the whole of the UK.

“This expansion will include community pharmacy and roving vaccination centre on top of the hospitals and GP practices and the seven mass vaccination sites that we’ve opened.

“This huge expansion means that by the end of January, everyone will live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre either fixed or roving.”

Have you or a relative struggled to get to the vaccination centre? We’d like to hear from you. Get in touch on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Health bosses urge patience on covid vaccine as 76 further cases confirmed

Health bosses have urged people to be patient on the covid vaccine as a further 76 cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district.

The number takes the total number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic up to 5,236, according to Public Health England figures.

The district’s seven-day coronavirus rate stands at 471 per 100,000 people and is the fourth highest in North Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, health bosses in North Yorkshire have urged people to be patient over the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

It comes after vulnerable residents told the Stray Ferret earlier this week that they were frustrated at the lack of information on the vaccine locally.

The jab is currently being offered to the over 80s, frontline health staff and care home workers and residents. Those over 75, over 70, as well as clinically and extremely vulnerable patients, will follow.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set a target to vaccinate those four priority groups by February 15 following the country being placed into another national lockdown.

But local health officials have asked people to be patient and wait to be invited by their GP for their vaccine appointment as the programme is ramped up nationally.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire CCG accountable officer and chair of the North Yorkshire and York group of NHS and local government chief executives, said:

“It’s heartening to see patients’ enthusiasm to have the covid vaccine, but it’s important those at most risk of falling seriously ill and dying from coronavirus are vaccinated first.

“Your GP surgery is following the necessary guidance and will be in touch with you when it’s your turn to be vaccinated – please do not contact them.”

Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 24 patients who tested positive for coronavirus.

The number is an increase on the 16 which the trust reported last week.

According to NHS England figures, a further patient who tested positive for covid died at the hospital on January 6. It takes the total number of deaths at the hospital since March up to 111.

The hospital has treated and discharged 335 people diagnosed with covid – 11 of these since last week – but its current number of in-patients with covid has risen from 16 on New Year’s Eve to 28 yesterday.

700 Harrogate hospital staff to be vaccinated this week

Hundreds of hospital staff in Harrogate have had their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

On Monday, Harrogate District Hospital began offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to its staff after the first batch was delivered.

Seven hundred staff have been booked in this week to be vaccinated and 266 had received the jab after the first two days of the programme.

A total of 820 staff from high risk categories were invited to be inoculated first.

Speaking after receiving her vaccine on Monday, Lorraine Robinson, assistant team leader of medical records, said:

“It was a necessity to have this vaccination because I have two auto-immune conditions and my husband is classed as vulnerable because he has an auto-immune condition.

“I’ve got elderly parents and a young grandson. I’ve had this to protect myself, my family and the patients we deal with.”

It comes as public health officials in North Yorkshire said they expected the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine to arrive in the county by the end of the week.

It means more care home residents will be able to access the vaccine as it is easier to transport.

The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, however just 530,000 were cleared for use earlier this week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday the NHS would begin to publish daily figures on the number of vaccinations from next week.

Growing concern in Harrogate district over lack of communication on covid vaccine

Vulnerable residents in Harrogate have raised concerns over the lack of communication for the coronavirus vaccine, as the centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground appears to have been closed over Christmas.

Several concerned residents contacted the Stray Ferret and reported the centre being closed for multiple days over Christmas and New Year. It remained closed on Sunday and had not reopened this morning.

Some of those who got in touch are in their 80s and said they have not heard anything on when they may get the jab, which they should be eligible for in the first round of vaccinations.

David Hill, 82, a local resident who is expecting to be notified about his vaccination, said his friends were becoming frustrated with the process.

He said most of those aged over 80 have yet to be contacted about their first dose.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“They are not going outside much, they are scared about going out. They are watching the news all day long and waiting for a text for the jab and they are not getting it.

“I do feel that they are getting stressed out beyond words.”

The centre was first opened on December 22, with 83-year-old Anne among the first to be vaccinated and a couple from Bilton receiving the jab a week after their 60th wedding anniversary.

It followed the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was rolled out at hospitals and local vaccination sites across the country.

The site appealed for volunteers to help marshal the car park and signpost patients. It opened with a morning session from 8.30am until 1.15pm and afternoon vaccinations from 2.30pm to 6.15pm.

But it appears to have been closed over several days at Christmas, with residents reporting the gates shut and no activity at the site. Residents have been contacting the Stray Ferret to ask when and how they will be notified about the jab, and why the vaccination centre appears to be closed.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group to confirm how many days it had been in use over Christmas and why it had been closed, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The group has yet to comment publicly at all on the vaccination centre, even to confirm its location – despite extensive signage around the site and some people having been invited for appointments last month.

The vaccine centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground, which opened on December 22.

Last month, local health bosses appealed for people to be patient over the rollout of the vaccine and the lack of information.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services, said the NHS was working “as quickly as possible” to administer the vaccine and that residents should wait to be contacted by their GP or local NHS trust.

Mr Webb added:

“Our colleagues in the NHS are working around the clock to prepare to receive the latest batches of vaccines. Please be patient, it’s a massive logistical issue.

“They are moving as quickly as possible to get people vaccinated.”

Despite the reassurances, the apparent closure of the centre during the Christmas break has led more people to contact the Stray Ferret. We will continue to ask the CCG for information about what is happening at the site.

NHS England figures up to December 31 show a total of 786,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

However, the data does not include a breakdown by region. It remains unclear how many have been vaccinated in the Harrogate district.

Meanwhile, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said this morning that 530,000 does of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be rolled out at six hospitals this week.

The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine and is planning on delivering two million a week by the middle of January.

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