Grantham Hospital vigil campaigners vow not to give up five years after overnight A&E closure

Since A&E closed overnight in 2016, a group of determined campaigners have continued to hold weekly vigils outside Grantham Hospital.

Bernice Cullimore has been there from the very beginning.

Despite facing a number of challenges along the way, the vigilers are not giving up.

Bernice said: “It’s been five years of false hopes and promises but we keep the vigil for the vulnerable, the elderly, and of course our own families.

“Over the last five years, speaking personally, I have been called a liar, troublemaker, shouted at and accused of using our hospital campaign to my own advantage.”

The vigilers have also faced challenges on a more national scale.

Bernice added: “Covid was a huge hiccup and we had to stop for a few weeks. Although it did highlight the need for localised, as opposed to centralised, hospital services.

“Vulnerable people were having to use public transport to get to routine appointments. Many have been taken by ambulance to Lincoln A&E and had to get a taxi home in the early hours of the morning, this costs around £60.”

Despite the challenges faced, Bernice has got no plans to stop, adding: “We keep going for so many reasons. Talking to people who are having to travel to Lincoln, Boston or Sleaford.

"They are worried, confused, not receiving treatment they need locally, unable to get to appointments due to lack of transport or the cost of using public transport, having young children.

All these are part of the reason we still there. Our residents deserve better."

Looking ahead Bernice has more plans for the future.

She added: “We are encouraging people to opt out of data sharing, we have official opt out forms. This will stop US-based companies from data gathering for use in the future. We are asking people to be aware of the Health and Care bill and urging MPs to reject it as it will enable privatisation.

“Yes we stand for our local emergency services and our local hospital, Lincolnshire is too large for centralisation of services, people are being put at risk.

Our NHS is in crisis, we must fight for what is left of it. We must stop privatisation.

The battle goes on.”

It was five years ago this week that United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) made the decision to temporarily change the opening hours at Grantham A&E due to a severe shortage of middle grade doctors at Lincoln and Boston A&Es.

A ULHT hospital spokesperson said: "In August 2016 the decision was taken to reduce the opening hours of Grantham A&E due to significant staffing issues and concerns around patient safety across the Trust.

"This decision was scrutinised by a number of bodies and the Independent Reconfiguration Panel concluded that the reduced opening hours should remain in place until a long term model for Grantham and District Hospital had been agreed. Emerging options for the long term model were shared widely and discussed openly as part of the Lincolnshire NHS Healthy Conversation 2019.

"Any future proposals for permanent, significant NHS service change will be subject to a full public consultation exercise led by the NHS Lincolnshire CCG.”