Lincolnshire Talks: Is enough being done to combat hospital waiting times for sick children?

There have been 845 COVID cases recorded in Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, as the UK passed 52,000 daily for the first time since July.

NHS vaccination data released on Thursday revealed that 1,131,705 doses COVID jabs had now been handed out in Lincolnshire. Of those, 545,844 were second jabs – around 86% of the total 634,453 population of Lincolnshire.

Nationally, a further 52,009 cases have been reported in the UK – the first time above 50,000 since mid-July and meaning there have been nine consecutive days of more than 40,000 cases. A further 115 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test.

The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:

• 845 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 663 in Lincolnshire, 99 in North East Lincolnshire and 83 in North Lincolnshire.
• Five deaths were recorded in the government figures with four in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire.
• Hospital data showed three furthers death at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

NHS vaccination data showed 5,340 doses given out in the past week, 1.14% doses fewer than the previous week’s 5,402.

Some 567,458 people over the age of 18, and 18,403 under 18s have received their first dose, while 544,271 over 18s and 1,573 under 18s were double-dosed.

In North East Lincolnshire a total of 217,641 doses of the vaccine have been administered, with 104,865 second doses.

In North Lincolnshire, 243,725 doses have been handed out, with 117,277 being double-jabbed.

Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to October 21. | Image: GOV.uk

Prime Minister Boris Johnson this afternoon said the UK was in a “much better position” than last year but added the country must “fortify” further.

“The most important thing people can do is just get that booster jab – when you get the call, get the jab,” he said during a visit to Armagh.

“The numbers are high, we see can see what’s happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs, and to vaccinate the 12-15 year olds as well.”

He said the government was “sticking with our plan” among calls to move to Plan B – which would include mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces.

To find out more about where you can get your booster jab and who’s eligible. Click here.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, October 21

131,118 cases (up 845)

• 87,049 in Lincolnshire (up 663)
• 21,493 in North Lincolnshire (up 83)
• 22,576 in North East Lincolnshire (up 99)

2,384 deaths (up five)

• 1,742 from Lincolnshire (up four)
• 328 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
• 314 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 1,433 hospital deaths (up three)

• 879 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up three)
• 44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
• 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
• 509 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)

DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.

Lincoln City goalkeeper Sam Long has joined non-league side Gainsborough Trinity on loan until January.

Long, 18, is an academy graduate at the Imps and made his competitive City debut in the 3-2 Papa John’s Trophy win over Manchester United U21s in August.

He has gone on to feature in two more cup appearances, keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 win at Bradford City, and will now get the opportunity for more first team action at Gainsborough Trinity.

Sam will join fellow Imps teenagers Hayden Cann and Jovon Makama on loan at the Northern Premier League side, managed by former Lincoln City under-18s coach Tom Shaw.

His temporary departure has been facilitated by the loan signings of Josh Griffiths and Archie Mair this summer, meaning that there is now adequate cover for Sam Long to get minutes elsewhere and further his development.

Director of football Jez George said: “As we’ve said previously, we always intended Sam to go out on loan this season so that he can experience men’s football and play regularly.

“It was fantastic for Sam to make his first team debut, play in all three of this season’s Papa John’s Trophy group matches and experience the first team matchday environment over the past 10 months, but now that Archie Mair has joined us on loan from Norwich it enables Sam to get a run of games at a challenging level.

“We will review the arrangement in January and then decide what is best for Sam’s ongoing development for the remainder of the season.”

A mother-of-six who lives near Gainsborough was awarded a damages settlement of £10,000 as a piece of placenta was left inside her after giving birth at Lincoln County Hospital.

The 30-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, suffered an infection, blood loss and pain which made it difficult to bond with her baby girl, who was born on May 26, 2018.

A medical negligence claim was made against United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

Despite telling midwives that she felt something was wrong at the time, the woman was discharged from Lincoln County Hospital and assured there had been no complications.

However, the woman, who had experienced a similar issue after a previous birth, said the pain caused her to struggle with her new baby at home.

The woman’s solicitor from Hudgell Solicitors said hospital notes stated that the placenta had been delivered five minutes after birth.

However, she suffered constant pains and bleeding and was reviewed at Scunthorpe General Hospital on June 12.

A scan then confirmed a 6cm piece of placenta had been left inside her. She underwent surgery to remove it the next day, but remained in pain and continued to lose blood.

A further scan on June 22 confirmed part of the placenta still remained, but she had to wait until August 20 for another operation, in which the remaining section was removed.

The mother wanted to share her story after a recent YouGov survey into maternity care and birth injury, which highlighted how some mothers feel their concerns are too easily dismissed.

The joint piece of research, commissioned by Hudgell Solicitors and the mother and baby charity Baby Lifeline, showed a quarter of mums were left feeling unsatisfied with the support they received before, during or after giving birth.

Lincoln County Hospital (left) and Scunthorpe General Hospital (right). | Photo: Steve Smailes/The Lincolnite

The Lincolnshire mum said: “It was hard because I couldn’t really do much, I felt bad because I needed family and friends to help look after my baby girl.

“I couldn’t hold her for very long because of the pain. I couldn’t bend down or pick her up to change her or anything like that. It felt like I lost a lot of bonding time with her when she was a baby.

“When I was told I had to have another operation, as they hadn’t got all the placenta out the first time, I was annoyed and it left me having to go back in and be messed about with again. It was another delay when I was still in pain.

“When the scan showed the piece of placenta inside me I felt mad because I warned them after I gave birth that I had the same feeling that I’d had with my previous birth, when it also happened then.

“But I just got ignored and they were just saying ‘it’s normal, it’s fine’. Because I went through it previously I knew that my instincts were right, but all I kept getting told was ‘we’ve checked the placenta, it’s fine, there’s nothing there’.

“When I was on the wards and said I was in pain it felt like they just ignored me. I also told the midwife when she came a couple of days after I had been sent home that I’d lost loads of blood clots, but they just shrugged it off and said it was normal.”

The woman instructed Hudgell Solicitors to look at her case and a medical negligence claim was made against United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

Sarah Colgrave, a solicitor in the Clinical Negligence team at Hudgell Solicitors, issued a list of allegations that she said “amounted to breaches of care on behalf of the NHS Trusts” and resulted in “unnecessary suffering” for the mother.

The solicitors said overall liability was denied and the Trusts only collectively admitted to a breach of duty of care in relation to a delay in arranging the second surgery to remove the placenta.

After indicating an intention to take the case before a judge in court, the Trusts returned with a five-figure damages offer which was accepted by the woman.

Peter Reading, Chief Executive at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We apologise for the delay this patient experienced waiting for their second operation and are pleased that this has now been settled.”

The Lincolnite also contacted United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust for a statement and are awaiting a response.