A special meeting of South Kesteven District Council is to be called on the future of Grantham Hospital.

The council's cabinet is also to write to John Turner Chief Operating Officer of the Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

It will also write to Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health, over plans from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust to turn Grantham Hospital into a Urgent Treatment Centre.

The trust says the move is temporary, saying the 'downgrade' is only until March 31 next year, to allow Grantham Hospital to be a Covid-19 free site with extra treatments for cancer and other illnesses.

However, campaigners fear such a move will be permanent, since Grantham Hospital's A&E lost its 24/7 service in 2016, something which was also supposed to be temporary.

Coun Kelham Cooke, leader of SKDC, told a meeting of the council's cabinet this afternoon that few issues facing Grantham were as vital as the need for its hospital to keep 24/7 urgent care services.

He told the meeting, which was held virtually, Grantham was growing and it was "imperative that we have a health service provision that supports our existing and expanding communities."

"The issue goes beyond the provision of an around-the-clock urgent treatment centre. We need to ensure that our growth is supported by the provision of an appropriate health infrastructure as an integral part of Grantham's expansion and regeneration.

Coun Cooke welcomed the extra cancer care and some elective surgery treatments announced by ULHT as part of its move, but the trust needed to ensure its proposals reflected current and future needs.

Coun Cooke said he was 'not convinced' of trust plans and he had spoken personally to Grantham and Stamford MP Gareth Davies and Sleaford and North Hykeham MP Dr Caroline Johnson, who told him they will continue to lobby for better healthcare for Grantham.

Coun Cooke continued: "I will ensure that our views are heard from grassroots to Government. We have a voice and I intend to use it. Which is why I am also pleased that we will be holding a special Council meeting to discuss and debate the changes to our local hospital, so we can send our thoughts formally to the ULHT Board and Andrew Morgan."

The request for an Extraordinary Council Meeting was supported cross party and will be held within the next two weeks on either June 29 or July1.

Speakers at the meeting who spoke on the hospital issue included Councillors Adam Stokes, Mark Whittington and Bob Adams.

Grantham councillor Ray Wootten also told the meeting that as a former cancer patient he understood the need for those who wanted to be treated as soon as possible.

Coun Wootten continued: "What I think is disgraceful is that our A&E will once again be lost on a 'temporary' basis until the 31st March 2021 and will never recover despite what the trust say."

He recalled from hospital staff that services will go by the backdoor and a comment from ULHT CEO Andrew Morgan to him on BBC Radio Lincolnshire in April that the trust was "not looking to downgrade the site."

Mr Morgan replied: "I can reassure Councillor Wootten its not some backdoor way to downgrade Grantham."

Coun Wootten also told the meeting that changes the trust voted on last week will mean 4603 patients (19%) their figures, having to travel to Lincoln or Boston, a trust that has one of the worse records in England for dealing with patients within the 4 hour period and waiting ambulances.

"Councillors and Campaigners have made their voice known