Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt invited to Grantham to discuss hospital’s future

An invitation has been made to the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to visit Grantham and discuss the future of the hospital and the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

The invitation has been made by district and county councillor Ray Wootten whose ward includes the hospital. In response to Coun Wootten’s invitation, a spokesman for the Department of Health said: “The Secretary of State has noted your request for a meeting. Mr Hunt’s office will be in touch if a suitable time becomes available.”

Coun Wootten told the Journal: “I think the situation with ULHT has reached a critical stage with the deficit. I want the Health Secretary to be aware of that fact and visit Grantham Hospital.”

The trust currently has a deficit of about £40 million. With regard to A&E at Grantham, Dr Sunil Kapadia, the trust’s medical director, recently told the Journal: “In relation to Grantham we anticipate that in practice we will see the same kind of patients as is currently the case but it wouldn’t necessarily have the criteria for an emergency centre. At the same time it’s not strictly speaking an urgent care centre – it sort of sits between the two.”

Dr Kapadia also cinfirmed that the county faces a deficit of £350 million across all healthcare services if nothing is done to resolve it within five years.

Read Dr Kapadia’s full comments at www.granthamjournal.co.uk