New lockdown: Harrogate business leader warns of 'economic crisis'

Harrogate's NHS Nightingale asked to be 'able to mobilise within a week' if required

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said she understood the difficulties of the situation but said an "economic crisis" was also an inevitable result.

She said “Balancing the nation’s physical health with its economic health is a difficult choice to make with nothing to measure against.

“The economic crisis which is looming, not just on the high street, but more worryingly the self-employed who have not been identified in any of the government’s grants, will be further exacerbated.

"I’m sure the trial and error approach which we seem to be using at the moment will see us steering a very wobbly path forward."

Like many in the business world, the chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce is keen to follow the rules to keep people safe - and for everyone to do so, too.

But, she also believes like many that the only real solution to the crisis lies in a medical breakthrough.

Sandra Doherty said: “A ‘circuit breaker’ will only work if the whole country, and more importantly every person, abides by the rules.

“Will a month work? I can’t guess anymore than anybody else can.

"Covid is a strange disease which doesn’t seem to be following any path that medicine has seen before.

"I personally don’t think we will see an improvement until we get a vaccination, which seems a long way off.

The chief executive said she had deep concern over the weakened strength of the NHS to cope with the pandemic in the forthcoming winter months.

The only thing that could be said for sure, she added, was that the economy was going to be hit badly.

Sandra Doherty said: The current worry in the NHS is still insufficiently understaffed to cope this coming winter.

Although fully equipped, the Nightingale Hospitals are not currently staffed, so I do wonder where these extra people are going to come from?

“The current worry in the NHS is still insufficiently understaffed to cope this coming winter.

Although fully equipped, the Nightingale Hospitals are not currently staffed, so I do wonder where these extra people are going to come from?

“So, in a nutshell, is the lockdown to save the NHS or is it to save lives? Because it certainly won’t save the economy.”

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