Plans for second diagnosis centre in Lincolnshire to go before councillors

Plans for a second community diagnostic centre in Lincolnshire are to go before councillors next week.

NHS Lincolnshire CCG opened their first CDC, designed to take the pressure off Lincolnshire’s health system, in Grantham in May.

Now, another could be built in Lincoln, Louth or Boston according to documents before Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee next Wednesday.

An “engagement” report before the committee will also update members on plans to expand the Grantham centre’s offering.

The options are:

• A large CDC in Lincoln
• A large CDC at Louth Hospital with “spokes” such as satellite locations, mobile units or pop-up centres in Skegness and Mablethorpe
• A CDC at Boston with similar spokes at Skegness, Mablethorpe and “possibly” Spalding

A presentation before councillors outlines three different models for CDCs, including standard (like Grantham), large and hub and spoke.

However, a spokesman for the NHS Lincolnshire CCG said: “The national models aren’t meant to exclude other suggestions, so if we need a hybrid model to accommodate what works for Lincolnshire we can do that.

“The Grantham CDC will be the ‘standard’ model once the additional services we are planning to introduce have been approved, so it is very much an evolving provision (of services).”

They emphasised no decisions had been made.

The CCG has already carried out initial engagement with more than 100 stakeholders, as well as launching a public and patient survey.

The presentation outlines how Lincoln would have the largest catchment area and support training facilities but would not address areas of highest health inequalities on the East Coast or tackle challenges in access.

Louth and its spokes on the other hand would address the health inequalities and access, but would be limited by capacity and patients unwilling to travel. The CCG also noted that North Lincolnshire CCG may also be looking at Cleethorpes and Grimsby locations.

Boston, like Louth, would address health inequalities said bosses, and it would have better transport links to/from the East of the county than the other two sites. However, it “may” not be able to have an endoscopy room.

The presentation noted that during Phase 1 engagement in January and February of this year the majority of the 1,054 responses the CCG received felt most satisfied with Lincoln as a potential future location for a fixed CDC followed closely by Louth.