Lincolnshire County Council health bosses say they have “serious concerns” around some of the proposals for local NHS services.
The authority’s Health Scrutiny Committee said it agreed with the need for “significant and permanent” improvements to local services which ensured the “highest possible standards of patient care are provided giving the best possible outcomes for patients”.
However, it says three of the four proposals put forward by NHS Lincolnshire caused “serious concerns”.
Councillor Carl Macey, chairman of the committee, said councils could not support proposals for a 24/7 walk-in Urgent Treatment Centre at Grantham and District Hospital, in place of the current Accident and Emergency department.
“There has been a strong, passionate campaign from local residents in Grantham to restore the overnight A&E service which we have supported with two referrals to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,” he said.
“Residents feel their views have been overlooked and when services have been gradually removed over the past twenty years, the committee isn’t reassured that further changes to services provided at the hospital will be avoided.”
He added that there were also “unanswered questions” around travel between hospitals and what services would be provided.
On proposals to use the hospital as a “centre of excellence” for planned orthopaedic surgery, Councillor Macey pointed to concerns over the accessibility of the hospital, particularly around limited public transport.
“It’s not clear how many patients would choose to have surgery at a hospital outside Lincolnshire and we’re not convinced that this proposal would necessarily improve recruitment and retention of staff.”
But he said the committee did agree with plans to integrate medical and community beds, which he said would “aid recruitment and retention of consultants and doctors and support more integrated health and social care services which has got to be good for patients”.
Councillor Carl Macey, chairman of the health scrutiny panel for Lincolnshire.
Elsewhere in the county, however, the council said proposals to establish a “stroke centre of excellence” at Lincoln County Hospital would remove a service from Boston Pilgrim Hospital.
“Many patients each year are currently treated at Boston and this could have a significant impact on people in the east of the county who rely on these services and who might otherwise travel out of the county to a nearer hospital.
“It also does nothing for the perception in Boston that Pilgrim services are being downgraded,” he said.
“We want to see improved services rather than any reduction in support across the county for our residents.”
He said the committee would continue to press their views until a final decision was made by NHS Lincolnshire by March 31, 2022.
The NHS launched a consultation on their latest plans in September last year, and say they will result in better access to urgent and emergency care, shorter waiting times, fewer cancellations of planned procedures and better retention of staff.
Hospital campaigners, however, say bosses haven’t listened to the concerns of residents who feel the UTC is a continued downgrade on their previous service level.
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Encanto, Harry Potter and West Side Story will all be shown during a three-day outdoor cinema experience at Lincolnshire Showground in September.
Tickets are on sale for West Side Story (2021) (September 16, gates open 6.30pm), Disney’s Encanto (September 17, gates open 6pm), and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (September 18, gates open 6.30pm) priced at £14.50 for a standard adult ticket, with customers advised to bring their own blanket and camping chair.
A VIP ticket priced at £20.50 includes a ‘luxury deck chair in a prime position’ and a 90g bag of sweet and salty popcorn, while child tickets cost £9.50.
Standard tickets are available for all three film showings at the time of publication, but the VIP tickets for Harry Potter have sold out, so it is advised to book quickly. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Hot food, snacks and a bar will be available on site, as well as toilets including accessible facilities. Picnics are welcome, but alcohol must be purchased on site only.
There will be music to enjoy before all three films with soundtracks of specially curated songs for Harry Potter and Encanto. There will be a soundtrack of songs from musicals over the years before the showing of West Side Story.
The events are run by Adventure Cinema and will go ahead even if it’s raining, but the organisers are hoping for a nice dry weekend.
An overnight road closure will be in place next month as a level crossing in Boston is upgraded to improve reliability for key freight services travelling to and from the town’s port.
A section of the A16 (Spalding Road) will be closed from 7pm on Saturday, June 11 until 2pm on Sunday, June 12 to allow engineers to safely replace over 140 metres of rail through the Boston Bypass level crossing.
Teams will work through the night to get the road ready to reopen for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists as soon as the upgrade is complete.
A signed diversion will be in place throughout to help people get to their destinations.
Vincent Briggs, East Midlands Route Level Crossing Manager for Network Rail, said: “This essential work will allow us to reliably transport vital freight goods to and from the town’s port for many years to come.
“We will need to close a major road into Boston to complete the upgrade safely, and I’m sorry for any inconvenience this causes.
“We’ll be doing the work overnight and have worked with Lincolnshire County Council to keep the impact as low as possible.”
Andy Lawrence, Port of Boston Director for Victoria Group, added: “The Port of Boston are delighted that the upgrade is taking place. It is great for the network connection we have from the Port of Boston and the 260,000 tonnes a year of cargo that we put over it.
“This enables us to keep lorries off the road and dramatically reducing our carbon footprint by utilising rail.
“Rail Freight was important for the Port in 1884, when it was built, and it remains equally, if not more important in 2022, and the future, as we strive to divert even more cargo to the rail mode of transport, direct from a seaport.”