August 11, 2016 1.05 pm
This story is over 71 months old
Understaffed Grantham A&E to be closed for over 14 hours a day
The accident and emergency department at Grantham Hospital will be closed from 6.30pm until 9am from next week, for at least three months. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has said that the temporary reduction in opening hours at Grantham will commence from Wednesday, August 17 and will help increase the number of doctors at its…
The accident and emergency department at Grantham Hospital will be closed from 6.30pm until 9am from next week, for at least three months.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has said that the temporary reduction in opening hours at Grantham will commence from Wednesday, August 17 and will help increase the number of doctors at its A&E departments in Lincoln and Boston.
As previously reported, the trust said that it does not have enough doctors to fill shifts in three departments 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and may put patients at risk if it does not act now.
At present, the trust is also unable to recruit locums, so consultant doctors have filled the gaps by doing extra shifts.
After 6.30pm, the trust says it has put services in place with the ambulance service, the out of hours service and emergency assessment unit to maximise the number of patients who can still be treated at Grantham Hospital.
However, patients will not be able to walk in to the out of hours service without an appointment accessed via NHS 111.
In a real emergency, people should call 999.
ULHT has said that it was received the backing of all other local NHS trusts in making the decision.
Dr Suneil Kapadia, medical director at ULHT, admitted that this decision would not be a popular one with members of the public, but insisted it was necessary for patient safety.
He said: “Our doctors have agreed to support our plans in the best interests of patients and work shifts in Lincoln and Pilgrim A&Es.
“This hasn’t been easy on the staff at Grantham and we are very grateful for their help.
“We haven’t made this decision lightly, but we’ve made it for the right reasons – to maintain patient safety in all three A&Es.
“We know this will be an unpopular decision but reducing the opening hours of Grantham A&E is the safest option for Lincolnshire. Despite significant actions taken by the trust, we don’t have enough doctors to safely staff all three of our A&Es 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We will be working hard to recruit more doctors over the next few weeks and months, and continue to pay premium rates to attract doctors to the county. ULHT are committed to fully reopening A&E as soon as we have enough doctors. But we won’t compromise on safety to deliver convenient services
“Currently patients with life threatening conditions and children are sent by ambulance to Lincoln, Pilgrim or Nottingham University Hospitals.
“On average we expect, between 6:30pm and 9am, 25 patients to attend alternative services. Most of these will be discharged back to their GP with little or no treatment required. We also expect that three patients will need to be transferred to alternative A&Es by ambulance.”
Dr Vindi Bhandal, GP and Chair of South West Lincolnshire CCG, added: “Once the department is closed, and to reassure our patients, the out of hours service will take over and provide a service for emergency care.
“Clearly we all recognise that there are times when attending A&E is the right course of action, however we need to educate our patients not to think of A&E first but rather to make use of the wide range of alternatives that are available including GP practices during working hours, minor injuries units, urgent care centres, pharmacies and the NHS 111 service.”
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We are investigating following a house fire where a man has sadly died.
Officers were called to the incident in Farrow Road, Spalding, at 1.03am today (7 August) following reports of what was described as an explosion. The property has suffered 100% damage.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services and members of the public who offered assistance, a man in his 50’s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
His next of kin have been informed.
Another man who is thought to have been passing by the property and offered his help suffered burn injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and we are keeping an open mind as experts from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service investigate today. We would encourage people not to speculate while we investigate the cause.
Officers will remain in the area for the next few days carrying out enquiries.
Anyone who saw or heard anything, or captured the incident on doorbell camera or dashcam is asked to contact us. There are a number of ways to get in touch:
You can call us on 101 quoting incident number 43 of 7 August.
You can email: [email protected] incident number 43 of 7 August in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or you can give information anonymously online
Lincolnshire 30 Under 30, The Lincolnite‘s showcase of young up and coming talent and high achievers, is open for nominations.
Thanks to our sponsors, Sparkhouse, Ringrose Law, Streets Chartered Accountants, Lincoln College and The Strait & Narrow, publishers Stonebow Media are organising the celebration of Lincolnshire’s promising talent for this autumn.
In 2021 we received almost 200 nominations for our county’s rising stars and and we’re seeking those who have shone over the past twelve months from entrepreneurs, to athletes, artists and rapidly developing professionals.
We’re looking to hear from inspirational young achievers from all backgrounds and professional fields. You can nominate yourself, or someone you know personally or professionally who is making our county proud.
Nominations are open for people from across Greater Lincolnshire (from the Humber to the Wash), either living or working in our region (and beyond!)
Entries close on September 9. A reception event is scheduled for Thursday, November 10, at the Lincoln Cathedral Chapterhouse. Check out the 2021 celebration.
Why this matters
The Lincolnite’s 30 Under 30 showcase is a celebration of the best and brightest in Lincolnshire, putting our young talent on the map regionally and nationally.
Stonebow Media’s platform and channels reach unparalleled audiences, opening up further opportunities and recognition for those involved.