South Kesteven hospital campaigner Charmaine Morgan is calling on district and county councillors to oppose a government bill which she says will reduce local control of NHS services.

Coun Charmaine Morgan, a Grantham district councillor and Chair of SOSGrantham Hospital, has written to all SKDC councillors and the leaders of Lincolnshire County Council to call on them to write to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

The Labour councillor is asking that Lincolnshire councillors join the call to oppose a new Integrated Care System NHS Bill. She is also calling on Grantham and Stamford MP Gareth Davies to oppose the bill.

Campaigners say the bill will increase the role of the private sector in the NHS whilst removing from local councils one of the only tools they have to challenge decisions made affecting their communities.

Cllr Morgan said: "Our campaigns to protect health services in Lincolnshire have demonstrated how important it is that councils have a say in the provision of our NHS services. Decisions are being made with little or no prior consultation with democratically elected local councillors.

"Whilst not ideal, at present LCC Health Scrutiny Committee can refer a case to the Secretary of state for Health, as they did when Grantham and District Hospital A&E was closed at night by United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust at no notice in August 2016.

"The new bill will remove that ability for councils to act. We need more say in our NHS services not less. It is vital to protect what few tools we have when it comes to defending our health services."

Coun Morgan added: "It is a double insult that the private sector health representatives will be given a voice at the decision making table denied to councillors. "

Keep Our NHS Public have an online petition which calls on Matt Hancock to halt the bill. It is available here.