Lincolnshire hospitals declare ‘major incident’

Lincolnshire hospitals are postponing operations and outpatient appointments in Lincoln for the next 48 hours in order to cope with urgent care needs, as the COVID surge is putting pressures on hospital admissions and compounding staff shortages.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust announced on Tuesday evening that a major incident has been declared.

They advise those who do not need urgent care, not to attend A&E. Their full statement is below:

A major incident has been declared today (Tuesday, January 11, 2022) due to the extremely high demand for all our services, COVID pressures and an issue with water supply at Grantham and District Hospital and we are taking additional steps to maintain safe services for our patients.

Unfortunately, this does mean postponing some planned operations and outpatient appointments at Lincoln County Hospital for the next 48 hours, to accommodate those patients with the most urgent clinical need.

Those patients whose appointments are being postponed will be contacted directly by our teams. Our emergency departments remain open for all emergency care. Any postponed appointments will be put back in as soon as possible and patients will be kept informed.

If you are not contacted directly, please continue to turn up for your appointment. Please also contact the number on your appointment letter if you are no longer able to attend so it can be reallocated to another patient.

We appreciate that this may be disappointing for those patients whose appointments need to be postponed – especially given the ongoing delays due to the pandemic. However, patient safety must take priority and we need to take action to make sure that those who are more clinically urgent get the help they need as quickly as possible.

Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard; and we would like to reassure our patients and the public that in spite of the challenges faced and some changes to non-urgent appointments, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if you require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward.

The public can help us manage these periods of demand by ensuring they are seeking help from the most appropriate health services, and only attending A&E for serious accidents and emergencies. If you are unwell, visit NHS 111 online for 24/7 advice about the most appropriate care for your need.