August 26, 2016 2.24 pm This story is over 91 months old

New evening service for minor injuries to open at Grantham hospital

Lincolnshire health bosses are working to introduce a new short-term minor illness and injuries service at Grantham hospital from next month. The new service would be part of the hospital’s out of hours service, opening until 11.30pm. NHS managers have said that the service could be available from mid-September. As previously reported, the hospital’s A&E department…
Grantham & District Hospital. Photo: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Lincolnshire health bosses are working to introduce a new short-term minor illness and injuries service at Grantham hospital from next month.

The new service would be part of the hospital’s out of hours service, opening until 11.30pm.

NHS managers have said that the service could be available from mid-September.

As previously reported, the hospital’s A&E department is closed from 6.30pm until 9am due to a shortage of doctors across Lincolnshire.

Hospital bosses have said that the temporary closure would last for at least three months.

However,  ULHT chief executive Jan Sobieraj told Lincolnshire Reporter earlier this week that the changes to opening hours at Grantham A&E may not be temporary.

Allan Kitt, Chief Officer for Lincolnshire South West CCG, said: “We are working together with Lincolnshire Community Health Services to develop a new short-term minor illness and injuries service, which would work as part of out of hours after 6.30pm until around 11.30pm (A&E will be closed between 6.30pm and 9am).

“This would not be an A&E service, but would enable us to see just how much demand there is for such a service and if it is the right kind of service for the people of Grantham.

“It will take us some time to get it established and it will of course be dependent on us being able to recruit very quickly staff with the right skills; we aim to try and get something up and running by mid-September subject to recruitment.”