March 5, 2019 3.12 pm This story is over 60 months old

Grantham A&E to be downgraded to Urgent Treatment Centre

Bosses say the facility will open 24/7
Grantham & District Hospital. Photo: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust will turn Grantham A&E into an Urgent Treatment Centre as part of plans to shake up healthcare across the county.

Partners from the four CCGs, along with other healthcare providers, announced the move as part of the Healthy Conversations 2019 media briefing in Sleaford today.

Health bosses said the downgraded service, which could be run by Lincolnshire Community Health Service would allow the facility to be open 24-hours, seven days a week and would treat the “vast majority” of local patients.

Other changes which will be looked at include:

  • Centralising a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit in Lincoln
  • Breast Services being centralised to Lincoln or Grantham
  • The continuation of elective orthopaedic and trauma at Grantham, with emergency services under discussion
  • Maternity units at Lincoln and Boston to both get a midwife-led unit.
  • Louth Hospital could also get an Urgent Treatment Centre

During the briefing, healthcare professionals also outlined how the Healthy Conversations would create a blueprint which would focus on getting residents to improve their own “self-care” such as quitting smoking, improving diets, medicine cabinets in the house and using technology in a bid to limit the number of patients using health servcies.

It would also look to get more services out into communities, and Lincolnshire’s 85 GP practices to work together and share resources better.

Dr Sunil Hindocha, GP with Lincolnshire West CCG said: “There are things we can do for ourselves which could make a big difference.

“This is our NHS, let’s look after it and it can look after us.”

Public engagement will continue until Autumn, at which point further consultation will take place.