November 12, 2018 4.52 pm This story is over 64 months old

Lincoln to get new urgent treatment centre to relieve busy A&E

The new service will be launched by December 2019
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

A new centre is to be set up at Lincoln County Hospital’s emergency department in an effort to ease A&E pressures.

The Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership has recommended five hospital sites to set up urgent treatment centres.

It comes as part of a NHS England plan to reduce attendances at emergency departments by launching 150 centres by December 2019.

The services will diagnose and treat the most common illnesses and injuries patients go to accident and emergency for.

Officials said the idea is that the centre will relieve pressure on A&E so the department is free to deal with more serious cases.

The service will combine minor injuries units, walk-in centres and urgent care centres and be based in front of A&E departments.

Patients will be encouraged to call the non-emergency number 111 in order to be seen but a streaming service will be available at the front door.

Lincoln County Hospital launched a streaming service in late 2017 with £1 million worth of government money.

Five sites have been identified across the region:

  • Louth Hospital
  • Boston Pilgrim Hospital
  • Lincoln County Hospital.
  • Stamford Hospital
  • Skegness Hospital

In a report, urgent care programme director, Ruth Cumbers, said the health service expects to see reduced attendances at A&E because of the changes.

She said: “We expect reduced attendance at, and conveyance to, A&E as a result of this standardisation and simplified access, as well as improved patient convenience as patients will no longer feel the need to travel and queue at A&E.

“Attendances at urgent treatment centres will count towards the four hour access and waiting times standard.”

Both Lincoln County Hospital and Boston Pilgrim are expected to be launched in December next year, but further funding is needed to expand floor space.

A report on the progress of the county’s urgent treatment centres will go before the Health Scrutiny Panel for Lincolnshire this week.

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