Grantham A&E will permanently become an urgent treatment centre in a shake-up of Lincolnshire’s hospital services.
The site will become 24-hour service rather than the daytime service offered currently.
However, hospital bosses have admitted that a small number of patients will now have to travel to Lincoln instead each day, and campaigners say the move is a “downgrade.”
The UTC is expected to be fully operational in the next 12 to 18 months.
The health services shake-up would also see an orthopaedic ‘centre of excellence’ created in Grantham, and stroke services consolidated in Lincoln County Hospital rather than Boston.
The Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group says the proposals will offer better care and reduced waiting times for patients.
Councillor Linda Wootten at a protest over the A&E’s fate last year | Photo: Mel Powles
The proposals in full which have been agreed:
Orthopaedics – Consolidate planned orthopaedic surgery at Grantham and District Hospital to establish a ‘centre of excellence’ in Lincolnshire, and establish a dedicated day-case centre at County Hospital Louth for planned orthopaedic surgery
Urgent treatment and emergency care – Grantham and District Hospital A&E department to become a 24/7 urgent treatment centre (UTC).
Acute medicine – Develop integrated community/acute medical beds at Grantham and District Hospital, in place of the current acute medical beds
Stroke services – Consolidate hyper-acute and acute stroke services on the Lincoln County Hospital site, supported by an enhanced community stroke rehabilitation service.
More than 3,400 people were consulted about the wide-ranging changes.
Although Lincolnshire residents were supportive of them overall, both Grantham and Boston residents were resistant to the changes planned for their local services.
Health bosses said keeping the accident and emergency service in Grantham wasn’t sustainable.
Jody Clark, the founder of the Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital campaign group said: “It’s been six years since the first ‘temporary’ overnight closure, and when it finally reopens as 24 hours next year, it won’t be the service we wanted.
“They say it isn’t a downgrade but it feels like it is, especially after losing our paediatrics and maternity services over the years.
“This will lead to more people going to Lincoln and Boston’s overstretched A&E services.
“It feels like lip services is being paid to the transport issues. Getting to Lincoln hospital regularly isn’t viable for a lot of people who don’t have transport, particularly in rural villages.
“They talk about offering a streamlined service, but I don’t think that will be people’s lived experience. Our goal now will be to stop any other services from leaving the hospital.”
The CCG board meeting heard that higher-quality services concentrated in one area lead to better outcomes, despite the added travel time.
Grantham’s UTC will be able to see the majority of patients who currently go to the A&E.
However, the hospital trust expects around two per day will be sent to Lincoln for treatment instead.
East Midlands Ambulance Service were supportive of the changes, and said they will be able to cope with the increase in longer journeys.
It is hoped that the proposals will leave the trust’s finances £1.9million a year better off, while also improving care and reducing staff vacancies.
Peter Burnett, the CCG planning director, said: “Fast access to high quality diagnosis and treatment at the acute site can offset longer travel times. There’s also ambulance travel time which can be still be used to support treatment of patients.”
Dr David Baker said: “When we started out this proposal several years ago, it was out of concern for the fragility of the services, but we have developed proposals that will undoubtedly improve the quality of service for patients.”
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.
Can you help us to identify the man in these images?
We would like to speak to him in relation to an armed incident at 12:40pm on Friday 17 June on Farebrother Street, Grimsby, close to the junction of Garner Street. No one is believed to have been harmed during the incident.
It is believed the man was wearing a green North Face jacket, dark trousers and grey/green Nike trainers with thick white soles.
If you see this man, do not approach him, but contact us immediately.
We appreciate the images are not clear, but if you are able to identify the man, you can contact us on our non-emergency number 101, quoting log 213 of 17 June.
A Lincolnshire man who lent his car to a major heroin dealer so he could source drugs for his then partner was given a suspended jail sentence.
Kevin Hislop, 43, was described as having a “limited role” in a larger conspiracy to supply heroin to the streets of Skegness.
Under cover police officers carried out test purchases of the Class A drug over several months in the Summer of 2017 in a special investigation codenamed “Operation Hazelbrook.”
Hislop admitted driving Paul Steven Wilkinson, 41, who was described as the “head of operation”, on two occasions and lending him his car for nine trips.
Lincoln Crown Court heard a total of 33 trips to ferry drugs were made from Leicester to the seaside town.
Six other people were also jailed for a total of over 21 years for their roles in the conspiracy.
Hislop, of West End, Spilsby, had been due to stand trial in July 2019 but his case was halted and then delayed because of the Covid pandemic.
When his case was re-listed following the pandemic Hislop admitted a charge of drugs conspiracy.
The court heard Hislop had admitted driving Wilkinson to Leicester on one occasion to collect some clothes when he was interviewed by police.
Almas Ben-Aribia, prosecuting, said that was in fact a lie, with Hislop making two trips with Wilkinson.
Miss Ben-Aribia added that the car in which the trips were made was registered in the name of Hislop’s then partner.
Michael Cranmer-Brown, mitigating, said Hislop had only got involved because he was concerned for his then partner.
“It is is quite unusual, but this man’s motivation was not to get drugs for himself, but to source them for his partner,” Mr Cranmer-Brown explained.
“He was concerned that she was rattling.”
Mr Cranmer-Brown said Hislop was now in a new relationship and was a hard working man.
“His employers are aware of these proceedings, he works for an engineering company,” Mr Cranmer-Brown added.
Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Hislop he could avoid sending him straight to jail because of his limited role in the conspiracy and his lack of other convictions.
Judge Pini said: “The conspiracy for which I have to sentence you goes back some five years.”
Hislop was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment suspended for two years, and must also complete 180 hours of community punishment.
Whatsapp
