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Another free shuttle bus service is being introduced in Lincoln to support those who cannot get to Lincolnshire Showground for their coronavirus vaccinations.

The service will be introduced on Monday, October 25 between 8am and 6pm, lasting two weeks until Friday, November 5.

It will again operate from stand C at Lincoln bus station and leave on the hour, as well as stopping 15 minutes later at the Thonock Close bus stop on Riseholme Road, and picking people up from the Showground for a return journey on the half hour.

People will be required to wear face masks on the shuttle bus, and those who catch the 3pm bus to Lincolnshire Showground for their COVID-19 jab appointment will have to wait until 5.30pm for their return journey.

It was first brought into action in August to respond to Lincoln having the highest infection rate in the whole of the UK, and now it will come back to support the uptake of young people being jabbed.

Natalie Liddle, acting head of service for health protection at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We know that for some, particularly students and young people who haven’t got easy access to transport, it can be difficult to get up to the Showground for their vaccination.

“This will give easier access for people to get their jab. Just turn up at the bus station at the allotted time to use the service.

“It’s important that if you are eligible for a jab then you take up the chance to get to the Showground. With the shuttle-bus service in place, it’s a quick and easy way to get vaccinated.

“COVID hasn’t gone away – getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from infection. We all need to take personal responsibility to do what we can to keep each other as safe as possible and reduce infection rates across the city.”

A new resuscitation zone will be built in the emergency department at Lincoln County Hospital, with initial enabling works starting next week.

The zone will more than quadruple in size and provide twice as many bays for the sickest emergency patients.

The new area will be built on top of the current ambulance bay at the hospital.

This means there will be some disruption as a new ambulance bay is created on the edge of the outpatients car park opposite the department.

Patients will still be able to park in the outpatients car park and also the main visitor car park at the hospital, but some of the entrances and exits may change.

Work is due to start on enabling works on Monday, October 25 and are expected to be completed early in the new year. This will allow for further works to begin in spring 2022.

It comes after the first phase of the transformation which saw a £3.5 million Urgent Treatment Centre built alongside the existing A&E department. It has seen and treated thousands of patients since it opened in May this year.

Future phases will include the following:

• A new paediatrics area with its own dedicated waiting room, treatment cubicles and a sensory area for the youngest patients and their families
• Additional treatment rooms for mental health patients
• A new ambulance drop-off and bays created outside the front of the department with entrances directly into the resuscitation and majors areas
• Additional clinical space, meaning that the emergency department will be able to accept patients from ambulance crews with improved speed and safety

Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is a really exciting time and something that we need. This next phase will give us a resuscitation zone that is the right size and environment for our teams to provide the care that is needed for our sickest patients.

“It will be bigger and have everything you would expect from a state of the art resuscitation area.

“There will be some disruption and I would ask patients and visitors to follow all of the signage and to consider allowing a couple of extra minutes to their journey.

“We thank everyone for their co-operation and cannot emphasise enough how important this transformation is and how it is going to impact on the care and experience that we will be able to provide to our patients and their families.

“All of these developments will help us to see and treat our patients more quickly and ensure that everyone is getting the level of care that they require. It will also make sure the department is not only fit for today, but also for the future.”

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire at Lincoln YMCA.

The building on St Rumbold’s Street had to be evacuated after a fire in one of the bedrooms at around 10.50am on Thursday, October 21.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has launched a fire investigation and police are also looking into the incident.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “People were evacuated from the building and a scene guard was put in place. No-one was injured.

“A 44-year-old was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent. Investigations are ongoing.”

An eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Lincolnite that she saw one police van, two police cars, and two fire engines at the scene. She said the fire alarm went off just after 10am and residents and staff were allowed back in at 11.25am.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said: “Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue were called at 10.50am on October 21 to accommodation on St Rumbold’s Street where there was a fire in one of the bedrooms and the building was evacuated. A crew from Lincoln North and a crew from Lincoln South attended.

“The fire was primarily out on their arrival so crews used water to dampen down. A fire investigation is under way.”