Health bosses have said that proposals for a major shakeup of NHS services in Lincolnshire will not be published until next year.
The plan, which includes a review of the county’s hospital services, is being led by the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership and will set out plans for healthcare in the region in the coming years.
But John Turner, senior responsible officer for the Lincolnshire STP, told members of the Health Scrutiny Panel for Lincolnshire that it would be “unwise” to give a specific date for when the plan will be published.
John Turner, senior responsible officer for the Lincolnshire STP.
“What I shared with the committee is that we are at a stage where we are having detailed discussions with NHS England around our thinking and the capital requirements,” he said.
“As soon as we finish those discussions with NHS England, we will be able to share our plans widely and openly across the county.
“We will have a proper consultation exercise with the public and we are looking forward to that happening.
“Given where we are, that is likely to be into next year now but we trying to make that happen as quickly as possible.”
Mr Turner added that he shared the frustration of the committee on the timescales of the plan but said that the STP needs to go through the right processes with NHS England.
But chair of the health scrutiny panel, Carl Macey, said he felt that there was no progress with the Lincolnshire STP.
“I think we’re not really any further forwards,” he said.
“We’re told that we’re looking at the new year before we’re going to get this masterplan as they are now classing it.
“We just want to see that they are getting out there and that they start consulting with the people because we want to see what those services are going to look like.
“At the moment in time, it feels stagnant and it’s not moving forward in the benefits of our residents.”
Councillor Macey added that NHS England seems like a “faceless body” and that it is unacceptable if they are controlling the manner in which the STP are progressing.
Grantham & District Hospital. Photo: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
An initial draft report outlining a required £205 million investment in the county’s three main hospitals and the downgrading of Grantham A&E was unanimously rejected by Lincolnshire County Council in December 2016.
Concerns have now been raised that delays in publishing the STP plan are risking public and staff confidence in the NHS.
Lincolnshire County Council has called for the NHS to publish a plan for public consultation on the STP “without delay”.
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Schools and universities in Lincolnshire recognise the potential benefits, but also the concerns, over the use of artificial intelligence.
The results of the government’s first ever Call for Evidence on Artificial Intelligence in Education’ report were published on Tuesday, November 28. It was open for 10 weeks and closed on August 23 this year, with 567 responses received during that time. Most respondents were “broadly optimistic” about the use of GenAI in education.
Almost two months on from Network Rail stating it had implemented “new cleaning regimes” for its railway bridge on Brayford Wharf East, the same concerns of graffiti, dirt and moss growth are continuing — and we are no clearer on how regularly the bridge is cleaned.
The bridge, which opened in 2019 in a bid to improve public safety on the railway crossing, is regularly used by many commuters and residents in Lincoln, but it has been the topic of a cleanliness discussion for many months now.
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