I have been made aware of proposals for Grantham and District Hospital to become a self-contained Covid-safe 'Green site', accessible by appointment only, in order to to cut waiting times for patients who have had treatments delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the A&E Department turned into a 24/7 walk-in centre for less urgent cases.
I welcome the increase in surgical activity at the Trust, which will be a great relief for those awaiting operations, and that those with minor injuries will be able to access care in Grantham 24 hours a day.
However it is shocking to hear from our hard-working NHS staff, who have worked so hard to save lives during this pandemic, that they only heard about the Trusts plans to close acute medical services in the media and have received no direct communication from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, to explain the impact this will have on their job security and working conditions.
My colleague Gareth Davies MP and I have written to Andrew Morgan, the CEO of ULHT, to object to a reduction in the provision of emergency services and acute medical beds at the hospital, especially since, from the information we have, it seems that this will lead to empty wards which could and should be used to provide care for acutely ill patients. We are particularly concerned that, under these proposals, emergency admissions will not be allowed overnight.
With an additional £342m provided by the Government to the hospital, local residents will rightly want to know why services are being downgraded, rather than enhanced, at Grantham Hospital.
Gareth and I will be meeting with the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, on Monday to discuss these proposals as a matter of urgency.
