Agenda item

The Chairman advised that as the two motions were similar in nature, there would be one debate, but two separate votes.

(1) Motion by Councillor M Whittington

It was moved and seconded:

In response to the recently released NHS document the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) the Council is asked to support the following motion.

We welcome some of the positive proposals for future healthcare contained in the STP such as the development of Neighbourhood Teams, measures to improve preventative healthcare and public health and closer working between local NHS organisations and this Council in areas such as adult  social care and mental health provision provided that they are properly funded and resourced. However, we believe that the proposal for the downgrading of A&E service provision at Grantham Hospital is completely unacceptable and will have a serious and detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of the residents within the Grantham Hospital catchment area. We also believe that the proposal for the creation of a single maternity unit for the whole county at Lincoln County Hospital with the ending of provision at Boston Pilgrim Hospital is also completely unacceptable and will have a serious and detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of the residents within the Boston Pilgrim Hospital catchment area. We are also concerned that the plans contained within the STP are not financially viable dependent as they are on £200m to £250m of capital expenditure which may not be available.  

We believe that the views of the residents of Lincolnshire are of paramount importance in deciding the future direction of healthcare provision in the county and call on all the NHS organisations within the county to conduct a full, meaningful and proper public consultation on the STP proposals which must actively engage with all of the county’s residents.

This Council therefore:

1)    cannot support the Lincolnshire STP in its current form.

2)    confirms that we are prepared to work with all local NHS organisations to encourage them to adhere to and act upon the views which emerge from the public consultation.

(2) Motion by Councillor J D Hough

It was moved and seconded;

This council has major reservations about the proposals for the future delivery of health and social care services set out in the recently published Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (LSTP).

Amongst our concerns are

• the downgrading of Accident and Emergency services at Lincoln, Grantham  and Boston Hospitals,
• the ending of maternity services at Boston Pilgrim Hospital and the proposal to centralise maternity services at Lincoln County Hospital,
• the failure in the report to make the case for adequate government funding to deliver quality health care services in a rural county which has difficulties in recruiting and retaining medical and nursing staff.

This council takes the view that if implemented these proposals will adversely affect the quality of life of people in Lincolnshire. It is of concern that these proposals will also have the potential to put a greater strain on the council's own finances particularly in relation to the delivery of Adult Social Care services.

1. Accordingly this council agrees that the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire should scrutinise the likely impact of the proposals in the LSTP on the different medical services in all parts of the county.
2. In addition the Council agrees to set up a cross-party working group to consider the likely financial and other impacts on county council services.  The cross party working group, the membership of which is delegated to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, should make its recommendations to the Executive.

Upon being put to the vote, motion (1) was unanimously carried.

Upon being put to the vote, motion (2) was unanimously carried.