Stefan Pidluznyj, Local Democracy Reporter

The trust in charge of Lincolnshire’s hospitals has apologised after new figures revealed that delays in transferring patients from ambulances into its care were the worst in the country.

A report from the House of Commons Library has shown that United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust had the highest waiting times for ambulance handovers over the winter period.

The handover of patients from an ambulance to emergency hospital department should take no longer than 15 minutes, according to NHS England.

However, nearly half (48%) of all ambulance handovers to ULHT were delayed by more than half an hour.

One in five ambulance handovers were delayed for over one hour.

The data comes from the period between December 2017 and February 2018.

Simon Evans, Director of Operations at ULHT, said that they had been put under “extreme pressure” during the winter period.

He said: “We have experienced unprecedented levels of patients in our emergency departments this winter, reducing our ability to transfer patients from the ambulance crews into our care.

“We would like to apologise to patients who have experienced delays in our emergency departments, however we are already starting to see a reduction in delays from the changes we have implemented over the last month.

“We are working closely with East Midlands Ambulance Service and NHS Improvement to look at how we can better manage transfers into our emergency departments, including increasing our staffing levels at peak times.

“Having visited the best performing trusts in our region we have applied the lessons they have learnt to our departments and are confident that the measures we have taken will continue to reduce delays.

“There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are moving in the right direction.”

Councillors will debate a petition signed by hundreds of residents calling for the Gainsborough Indoor Bowls Centre to be saved from closure.

The bowling hall at West Lindsey Leisure Centre is set to be turned into a health and wellbeing hub as part of the district council’s £1.4 million revamp of the facility.

West Lindsey District Council said that the hall is empty for most of the year as the bowls club only uses it during winter.

Talks have been ongoing to find nearby alternative venues for the bowls club.

However, members of the club have called for the decision to be reversed, with over 900 residents signing a petition to save the bowls hall.

The petition, which will be presented to and debated by Full Council at a meeting in Gainsborough on Monday, April 9, asks the council to: “Reconsider the closure of the purpose built bowls hall which gives so many residents of Gainsborough and the surrounding district the chance to continue their hobby providing exercise mentally and physically, competitiveness, a social life, comradery and friendship that the bowls club provides.”

Councillor Trevor Young, Liberal Democrat ward member for Gainsborough South West, has asked the council to temporarily suspend its decision, and carry out a further consultation with the intention of potentially retaining the centre.

In a motion also to be debated by Full Council, Councillor Young will say: “This council notes that the provision of the Gainsborough Indoor Bowls Centre has benefited thousands of residents over the past 27 years.

“This council recognises that sport and leisure provide huge benefits towards good physical and mental health amongst our residents and supports better health and wellbeing especially for the elderly.

“This council agrees with medical research that availability to social activities help reduce social isolation and reduces pressures on important services such as the NHS and social care.

“This council supports that access to sport and leisure should be for all age groups.

“The council recognises the huge amount of public support against the proposed closure of the indoor bowls centre.”