Reflections 2022: Andrew Morgan – A challenging year for Lincolnshire’s hospitals

By Andrew Morgan andrewmorgan

Andrew Morgan is the Chief Executive at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

2022 has been both a challenging and eventful year for everyone, but I want to say a massive thank you to all our amazing staff, volunteers, patients and the public for their continued support and co-operation.

Our staff continue to go to unprecedented measures to look after our patients, day in and day out, and I am sure I speak for everyone when I say we are extremely appreciative of this.

I want to recognise and thank all teams, wards and departments not only across United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, but across the entire Lincolnshire health and social care system, for everything they are continuing to do.

During 2022 the trust has faced challenges including the ongoing impact of COVID-19, unprecedented demand on our emergency services, increased waiting lists and the fire at Lincoln County Hospital (LCH).

That being said, as a trust, we have also achieved a lot in 2022. The first Lincolnshire patient had robotic assisted surgery at LCH; our hospitals were taken out of CQC special measures.

Due to the improvements we have made, the trust exited the national Maternity Safety Support Programme. We also opened our new maternity bereavement suite at Pilgrim Hospital Boston; the UK’s first double keyhole hip replacement surgery took place at Grantham and District Hospital (GDH); we opened our new theatres at GDH and a new £1 million data centre opened for Lincolnshire’s hospitals.

As we continue to look ahead this winter, it is as important as ever that we all keep up our rigorous handwashing practices as well as taking up any offers to get vaccinated. I have had both my COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine. This is not only to protect myself, but also my loved ones, my colleagues, our patients and also the NHS.

We need to keep working together, choosing well and using the most appropriate services. Remember, 111 online can direct you to the right place for your needs.

Although we have a difficult winter ahead of us, we also have lots of exciting projects underway to make further improvements across our sites in 2023:

Enabling works have begun which will make it possible to transform the Emergency Department at Pilgrim Hospital Boston. We are looking forward to seeing the start of the transformation works in 2023.

We will also be able to use the new resuscitation block for our sickest patients, which is part of the significant transformation of LCH Emergency Department.

We will be tackling our waiting lists by using our elective surgery hub at GDH.

I think 2023 is going to be another year full of achievement for the Trust. Although there may be some challenges, I know we will overcome these by working together and supporting each other.

I wish everyone a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Andrew Morgan is the chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and former CEO of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.