Agenda item

Impact of Overnight Closure of Grantham and District A & E

(To receive a joint report from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, which provides more information for the Committee on the impact of the overnight closure of Grantham A & E.  Senior representatives from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership will be in attendance for this item)

Minutes:

Pursuant to minute number 30(1) from the meeting held on the 18 September 2019, the Committee gave consideration to a joint report from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, which provided the Committee with information on the impact of the overnight closure of Grantham A & E, in the first instance, on Peterborough City Hospital.

 

Additional information from North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust had been circulated to members of the Committee for consideration, prior to meeting.  The information circulated provided the Committee with answers to the four questions detailed on pages 94 and 95 of the report.

 

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Mark Brassington, Chief Operating Officer, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

 

The Committee noted that there was still some ambiguity regarding the figures presented, as a result of differing data collection regimes.

 

The Chief Operating Officer responded to questions raised, which included the following issues:-

 

·         The effect of proposed housing development in Grantham on Grantham & District Hospital.  Some members contended that the potential growth of Grantham warranted the need for Grantham A & E to be open 24 hours.  The Committee was reminded that as Grantham Hospital formed part of the Acute Services Review, no changes would happen until after the outcome of the public consultation on Grantham A & E was implemented.  Reassurance was given that housing growth area was considered when looking at sustaining Grantham Hospital; and the Committee noted that work was on-going with the district council concerning future options ;

·         One member reminded the Committee that the reason the Grantham A & E had been closed overnight was on the grounds of patient safety.  The Committee was advised that some doctors had been recruited from overseas; however, as most did not have the required skill set, they were required to undertake a period of training for the General Medical Council as part of the CESR (Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration) programme;

·         A question was asked where patients would be taken if a major trauma incident happened on the A1.  The Committee was advised that patients would be taken to the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, which had been the region's major trauma centre since 2012;

·         Developer contributions under planning legislation – There was some discussion on how the NHS submitted its responses to consultations on local authority planning applications; and

·         A question was asked as to whether consideration would be given to making Grantham an A & E rather than an Urgent Treatment Centre.  The Committee was advised that at present, there were no plans for Grantham to become an A & E.  The Lincolnshire NHS's preferred option was for an Urgent Treatment Centre in Grantham.

 

On behalf of the Committee the Chairman extended thanks to the Chief Operating Officer for his update; and advised that the information presented would be noted; including the assurance that the impact of the overnight closure would be managed until such time as the outcome of the public consultation was implemented.  A request was also made for as much information as possible being included on the impact of the proposed changes for Grantham A & E in its published consultation material.  The Chairman also advised that additional information would be requested from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to be considered alongside the information available for Pilgrim Hospital, Boston and Lincoln County Hospital.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    That the information presented concerning the Impact of Overnight Closure of Grantham and District A & E be noted, including the assurance from the NHS in Lincolnshire that the impact of the overnight closure of Grantham A & E had been and would continue to be managed until such time as the outcome of the public consultation on Grantham A & E was implemented.

 

2.    That the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership be urged to include as much information as possible on the impact of the proposed changes for Grantham A & E in its published consultation materials.

 

3.    That the additional information on the impact of the overnight closure of Grantham A & E be requested from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, to be considered alongside the information available for Pilgrim Hospital Boston and Lincoln County Hospital.

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