The transition of Grantham Hospital's A&E department into an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) has garnered mixed reactions from locals and councillors.

The Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group first unveiled plans for this overhaul of health services last May, with the changes anticipated to be fully implemented by this coming October.

Currently, Grantham Hospital's A&E department is only open between the hours of 8am and 6.30pm, with an enhanced out-of-hours walk-in service offering reduced services until 10pm.

After 6.30pm, patients in need of further care are transferred to either Boston Pilgrim Hospital or Lincoln County Hospital.

The proposals mean that the Grantham urgent treatment centre would provide the following services:

1. Orthopaedics – Consolidate planned orthopaedic surgery at Grantham and District Hospital to establish a 'centre of excellence' in Lincolnshire, and establish a dedicated day-case centre at County Hospital Louth for planned orthopaedic surgery
2. Urgent treatment and emergency care – Grantham and District Hospital A&E department to become a 24/7 urgent treatment centre (UTC).
3. Acute medicine – Develop integrated community/acute medical beds at Grantham and District Hospital, in place of the current acute medical beds
4. No stroke services – Hyper-acute and acute stroke services will be consolidated at Lincoln County Hospital, supported by an enhanced community stroke rehabilitation service.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust claims that the transition would impact "only 2 patients daily," or over 700 critically ill patients annually.

It's hoped that these changes will reduce overall waiting times for patients, an issue that campaigners say has reached a critical juncture in recent weeks.

What does an urgent treatment centre deal with?

• sprains and strains
• suspected broken limbs
• bites and stings
• eye problems
• feverish illness in adults and children
• minor scalds and burns
• emergency contraception

How long is the wait?

Recent NHS data reveals that in June of this year, 55% of patients at hospitals under United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust waited more than four hours to be seen.

At the time of writing, the NHS WaitLess app reported the longest wait at Grantham & District Hospital to be three hours.

Jody Clark, founder of the Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital campaign group, pointed out that the hospital faces a chronic staffing issue, which only gets exacerbated during the summer holidays, when many staff members take leave to vacation with their families.

"They have the same struggles every summer holiday, where we have an influx of people come to Lincolnshire and we don't have enough staff to cover."

Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital founder Jody Clark. | Photo: Lincolnshire Reporter

Ms Clark further highlighted recruitment challenges faced by many hospitals in the area, adding: "It's difficult to recruit staff here, it's a large rural county and so I don't think many people end up wanting to stay here when they've got Nottingham and Peterborough on their doorsteps."

Reduced services

Grantham St Vincents' Councillor Charmaine Morgan (Independent) observed that while Grantham Hospital's A&E is well-outfitted, it's underutilised.

She fears the transition to a UTC might curtail services, necessitating more patient transfers.

Councillor Charmaine Morgan. Photo: Lincolnshire Reporter

"Grantham Hospital has dealt with and still does to an extent, deal with the majority of critical cases. There's only some areas they don't do, such as major trauma.

"Nobody has ever said we don't want 24-hour services. What we don't accept is the downgrade of care you get once you get through those doors.

The independent councillor later emphasised that the envisaged proposals for more of a UTC+, offering beyond the typical services. She believes this highlights the need for a proper A&E department in Grantham.

Ms Clark, while recognising potential service reductions, remains optimistic, stating that the new centre would be "better than what we've got now".

A collaborative approach

In a move that sets Grantham's UTC apart, Lincolnshire County Councillor Carl Macey (Conservative), chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee, revealed that the centre is being managed collaboratively with ULHT (United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust) and Lincolnshire Community Health Services.

This partnership ensures the availability of higher-tier medical professionals, offering more advanced services.

Councillor Macey reflected on the current state of Grantham's A&E, saying, "We heard from independent reviewers that for a long time now, Grantham Hospital hasn't offered an A&E department up to the national mandate."

Councillor Carl Macey, Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire

Councillor Macey lamented the "erosion" of Grantham's A&E over the years but expressed hope for the future, reassuring that the new UTC will retain most of if not all its earlier services.

The chairman further elaborated on the evolving healthcare landscape in Lincolnshire: "We're not going to have a service like we had many years ago," he remarked, hinting at imminent changes to nearby hospitals.

Current projections suggest a future where Lincolnshire houses only two A&E departments, located in Boston and Lincoln. However, to bridge the gap, there are plans to bolster GP surgeries, ensuring high-quality local care.