Grantham Hospital minor injuries service to be reviewed

The future of a minor injuries service introduced at Grantham Hospital when its A&E department was closed overnight is to be reviewed.

Health bosses say the minor injury nursing service is underused and have decided to consult the public on its future. They say that during the whole of 2017, the service was only used by 65 patients. The total cost of the service is £130,000 per year, which means the average cost of seeing each patient last year was £2,000.

John Turner, chief officer of South West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "This is clearly not value for the public purse."

In a letter to Grantham councillor Ray Wootten, Mr Turner and Dr Dave Baker, CCG GP chair, said: "Whilst the trial of this service does not appear to have been successful, we are keen to hear from local people on this matter so we will be shortly undertaking an online survey for the public over a four week period which will give the public an opportunity to provide their views. Once this process is complete, we will carefully consider this feedback and inform you of our conclusions."

The minor injury service was implemented in September 2016 after the hours of the A&E were reduced the previous month. the CCG introduced the service on a trial basis to see if it would be of value locally.

The service is operated by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust as part of the out of hours services based in the Kingfisher Unit at the hospital. The service is offered through 111 or as a walk-in service for local residents.

The CCG says the service is in no way a replacement for A&E but is there to see people who have cuts, grazes or lacerations; minor scalds or burns; strains, sprains and suspected fractures; bites and stings.

Coun Wootten, who represents the St Wulfram's ward in Grantham where the hospital is situated, said: "I would encourage as many people as possible to complete this survey if they want to retain the services of the minor injury unit at Grantham Hospital.

"The hospital has this valuable service which we don't want to lose. Are we putting a cost on people's health?"