Protests taking place against plans to turn Grantham A&E into Urgent Treatment Centre
Campaigners worry it'll have a devastating impact on the area
Protests are taking place later against plans to permanently turn Grantham A&E into an Urgent Treatment Centre.
Health bosses say it'll mean they can deliver the highest quality of care, reduce waiting times and support the drive to recruit more staff.
But campaigners worry it'll have a devastating impact on the area.
The changes include:
- Grantham and District Hospital A&E department to become a 24/7 urgent treatment centre - Bosses say that the change would mean that around 97% of patients currently seen by the A&E would continue to be treated, and access overall would increase. They say the “few” patients with the highest level of need would receive care in the most appropriate and safest place for them,
- The hospital would also see its acute and community beds integrated together – meaning the vast majority of patients in acute medical beds would then be able to be treated in the same hospital. This would be safer and more comprehensive and enable greater integration with community health and care services while reducing pressure on Lincoln and Pilgrim Hospital.
- Grantham will be a “Centre of Excellence” for planned Orthopaedic surgery, with unplanned operations going instead to Lincoln and Pilgrim Hospital – A pilot scheme has already demonstrated how this would work. Bosses say this would reduce cancellations of planned operations, leading to a knock on reduction of waiting lists, as well as creating a more attractive service to retain staff. As part of the plans Louth would also become a dedicated day centre.
- Stroke services would be centralised at Lincoln – This would remove the service from Boston, but bosses say it will create another “Centre of Excellence”. They hope the change will reflect a similar move with heart attacks a number of years ago which bosses said has made a positive impact.
Melissa Darcey from Fighting 4 Life Lincolnshire said lots of people are suffering without care.
"We'll be making as much noise as possible to say no to the cuts to our hospital services.
"We fully will fight for the return of a public health care service and the return of a fully level 1 A&E service at Grantham with the back-up services we've lost over the last 2 or 3 decades.
"I want my kids to have an NHS, the NHS that I remember, the NHS that other people remember, the NHS that was founded on the back of World War 2 when the county was bankrupt.
"I want that for my kids and I think we deserve it."
Lincolnshire CCG said proposals have been developed by senior clinicians over a number of years and "are based on their professional medical and clinical advice and national clinical evidence focused on how the best care possible is provided for patients we serve".
"The proposals set out in the consultation do not include the removal of acute medical beds from Grantham and District Hospital.
"On the contrary, we believe the proposals provide much needed stability to the Urgent & Emergency care services in Grantham.
"This, together with the implementation of the proposed specialisation of services, which includes a centre of excellence for planned orthopaedic care in Grantham, is a demonstration of our firm commitment to the sustainability of services for people local to the Grantham area and across the county.
"We believe these proposals will ensure the delivery of the highest quality of care and outcomes for patients, reduce waiting times, and support the drive in retaining and recruiting great health care staff countywide.