Campaigners fighting to protect Grantham Hospital's services, from left, Councillor Charmaine Morgan, Councillor Ray Wootten and Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital's Jody Clark.
Lincolnshire’s hospitals trust has revealed its latest plans for services in the county, but campaigners say the move has sparked “grave concerns” and left unanswered questions.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust advertised its latest consultation on Friday evening, which will include an examination of Grantham Hospital, and gave people until Tuesday lunchtime to respond – just one full working day.
Campaigners said there were still questions to be answered about the plans. They also said the time-scale for response was “too short” and could result in some residents being left out, however, trust bosses said the survey had been part of an ongoing process since December.
ULHT says it will consider its plans to restore services at an extraordinary board meeting on Tuesday, March 16, at 2pm.
It said an independent review had been carried out over the last nine months into the changes, which included the opening of a 24/7 Urgent Treatment Centre.
“[The changes] enabled the trust to continue to deliver essential cancer and urgent surgery to the people of Lincolnshire during the pandemic in an environment protected from COVID-19,” said a statement.
Under the latest plans:
Existing services at Grantham will remain. The trust added two theatres to allow for more surgery and will keep some chemotherapy day services on the site. It says it is “keen” to restore day case cancer services to Boston and Lincoln soon.
Sexual health services, some outpatient and community mental health services, children’s and women’s outpatients and dental services run by NHS trusts will return to the Grantham site.
Outpatient, diagnostic and therapy services will return with “very limited need for any interaction with the other patient services on site”. A dedicated medical and surgical rehabilitation ward is also planned.
Emergency care services changed again to include a daytime (previously 8am to 6.30pm) A&E, a same-day emergency care unit, an emergency admissions unit, access to diagnostic services and integrated support from community teams.
An enhanced out-of-hours primary care service at the front of the hospital will include walk-in services until 10pm and a booked service through the night.
A survey into the Grantham hospital Green site model was launched on December 15, 2020, with an interim report produced on January 15 of this year.
A trust spokesman said: “For anyone who has difficulty with access for any of the areas you can call or email and someone will provide this service through a medium that is accessible.”
Grantham SOS Campaigner and South Kesteven councillor Charmaine Morgan said: “Whilst it’s looking promising they are restoring a number of the services at Grantham Hospital and have plans to restore even more, we have grave concerns over the very short notice and very short window for anyone to respond.
“It’s very likely the groups most affected won’t have time to respond.”
She said there was already concern the move further took away night-time A&E services in the long run.
Councillor Morgan, one of those to give evidence, said: “Listening to the arguments during the case it was very clear the failure to consult was a significant issue.”
A map of Grantham Hospital showing the majority of it as COVID-19 free apart from the urgent treatment centre and the ambulatory care section.
Fellow councillor Ray Wootten pointed out the board’s meeting was on the same day as Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee.
“I was a bit cross because a recent motion called on the trust to have a full and frank consultation across the entirety of Lincolnshire. This way anyone without internet access can’t contribute, if they’re even aware of it.
“It’s an extraordinary meeting, what’s such an emergency they need to do it so quickly? Is it because of the COVID Green Site coming to an end?
“They have had plenty of time to think about that and deal with it.”
He reiterated that services should return to the same level they were four-and-a-half years ago.
“For a growing district of 140,000-plus population I want to see the same Grantham Hospital services we had before, nothing less, nothing more.”
Protests have been held many times over the past four years to support staff and oppose plans to remove A&E services further. Photo: Mel Powles
Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital campaigner Jody Clark said the time frame “doesn’t give everyone the chance to respond”.
“It restricts anyone who doesn’t have internet access or has additional needs (language barrier, disabilities, elderly) and some of those will need to use those services the most,” she said.
“So it’s on all of us to give our views to make sure everyone’s needs are taken into consideration.”
She said the consultation so far “left me with more questions than answers” – particularly around A&E, staffing levels and the risk to patients.
“I hope the board approve the changes, as it will reduce some of the need to travel, but I honestly think we need more enhanced services locally, especially with all the residential developments in the county, all our hospitals will be under excess demand unless better local provision is given,” she said.
“Nearly five years on from the original overnight closure, it’s about time this got sorted, we will keep fighting for Grantham Hospital.”
Spotted an error? Please notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
It has been a tragic week with three deaths on Lincolnshire’s roads after two male motorbike riders and a man on a pedal bike lost their lives.
The roads are now busier again after further lockdown restrictions were eased on April 12, but since then three men have sadly died.
A man died after falling from his pedal bike in Branston on Wednesday, April 14 and police said his death is not being treated as suspicious.
On the same day, a 34-year-old male died after a crash involving two motorcycles near Gainsborough.
The man who lost his life in the collision was riding a silver Wuyang motorcycle. The second motorcycle was a blue Suzuki being ridden by a man in his 30s, who was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries.
A 54-year-old man from North Lincolnshire also died after his motorbike crashed with a Royal Mail post van on the A631 near Glentham at around 4pm on Thursday, April 15.
This comes after it was revealed on March 11 that for the first time in over three decades nobody had died on the county’s roads in the first months of the year, according to Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
Lincolnshire Police revealed earlier this week that between 2018 and 2020 twenty five motorcyclists lost their lives on Lincolnshire’s roads.
There have been 285 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and eight COVID-related deaths so far this week – a 7% drop in cases and one less death from the previous week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 32 new cases in Lincolnshire, eight in North Lincolnshire and three in North East Lincolnshire.
On April 16, three deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and none in Northern Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported two hospitals this week so far, compared to none this time last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 2,596 to 4,383,732, while deaths rose by 34 to 127,225.
In local news, Lincolnshire health bosses expect COVID-19 cases to rise in our region as lockdown is eased, but are optimistic that if numbers are kept low enough, then people will be free to enjoy the summer.
Andy Fox, Deputy Director of Public Health at Lincolnshire County Council, said the lifting of coronavirus restrictions this week had not caused any specific concerns yet.
Since Wednesday, Greater Lincolnshire has again seen a decrease in its infection rates overall, against an increase nationally.
All districts have seen a fall in their rates, except small increases in North Lincolnshire and South Holland. Lincoln has stayed the same and has the lowest rate in the region.
Boston has the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in Greater Lincolnshire and is ranked 9th in the UK.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to April 16:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 9 to Apr 16. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
England’s R number has dropped slightly to between 0.7 and 1 according to the latest data this week. This means for every 10 people infected with COVID-19, they will pass it on to between seven and 10 others.
The new Indian variant of the COVID virus that’s been detected in the UK has all the hallmarks of a very dangerous virus.
It has two new significant mutations in the spike protein that help it infect cells and evade the immune system.
People are “likely” to need a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine within 12 months of getting the first two, Pfizer’s chief executive has said.
Dr Albert Bourla said a booster jab could be necessary “somewhere between six and 12 months” after the second one – and every year thereafter.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, April 16
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,919 cases (up 43)
41,028 in Lincolnshire (up 32)
9,275 in North Lincolnshire (up eight)
8,616 in North East Lincolnshire (up three)
2,185 deaths (up three)
1,613 from Lincolnshire (up three)
304 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,302 hospital deaths (no change)
810 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,383,732 UK cases, 127,225 deaths
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.
Plans to demolish part of a former play centre and Chinese takeaway to build 41 new student flats, have been submitted to the City of Lincoln Council.
Killingbeck PLG has applied for permission to demolish “most” of the existing facade of the former home of Imagination Station and Big Wok, on Beaumont Fee, and rebuild it as part of the development.
The main hall, a warehouse and a recently built “link block” to the rear of the building will also be demolished, and will be completely replaced with a new extension.
In documents to the council, the applicant describes how the 41”study bedrooms” will be en-suite and open off a central circulation area.
The build will form part of the Iconinc post-graduate residential units development next door and will sit opposite the Park Court student accommodation on Park Street.
It will include 12 apartments on the ground floor, 11 at first and second floor and seven units on the third floor.
How the build could look.
The application said: “There is a clear need for good quality, post-graduate, city centre, residential accommodation and the economic case for the redevelopment of the site is reinforced by the fact the site can be linked with the new Iconic development so amenities can be shared.
“The demolition of the existing property and the proposed redevelopment will bring positive benefits to the area economically and aesthetically.”
As part of the build, residents will gain shared access to existing facilities including the gym.
Whatsapp
