Grantham UTC delays spark walk-In advice amidst appointment system confusion

Patients at Grantham's Urgent Treatment Centre have been advised by health campaigners to walk in rather than book appointments after confusion arose over the delayed activation of a new 111 appointment system.

Health bosses confirm the service, launched in October, will be fully operational only by February, with limited temporary appointments.

Campaigner Jody Clark, on the Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital Facebook page, expressed frustration, saying: "Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to tell Grantham residents that a service was available in October 2023, that isn't actually available until February 2024."

She emphasised the need for clear communication, stating that it would have saved the community from confusion and hassle.

Press releases at the time said that “from Tuesday 31 October, patients will be able to walk in to the new UTC 24 hours a day, and access bookable appointments available 24 hours per day via 111".

However, it is now understood that appointment slots are currently only for one appointment per hour.

Julie Frake-Harris, Chief Operating Officer for Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, addressed the situation.

She explained: "Booked appointments are available at Grantham Urgent Treatment Centre, but the number is temporarily limited due to the procurement and installation of a new digital appointments system.

“The anticipated completion date for the new system is by the end of February 2024, allowing for an increase in the number of available appointments."

She reassured patients that an interim system is in place, ensuring that booked appointments can still be accessed in Grantham.

They clarified that the interim system to book appoints is still via 111, with eligible patients passed along to the service that can book appointments.

Additionally, the facility continues to operate on a walk-in basis 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

However, following the comment, Jody said the current availability was “not what was expected by the local population by the messaging given out in October 2023.”

“The impression was given that appointments would be available, as we no longer have an out-of-hours GP facility and as the enhanced UTC has a GP staff mix, we expected the appointment system to pick up this out-of-hours service.”

She highlighted that February was now not far away, adding: “At least patients will not have to wait too much longer to be able to access those appointments, as expected, but until then, I would suggest they just walk in.”

South Kesteven District Councillor and long-time campaigner for Grantham Hospital Charmaine Morgan said the trust’s communication over the current booking system had been “really misleading.”

“We were given the impression that we’d have a walk-in 24/7 Urgent Treatment Centre, which would have additional staffing levels,” Cllr Morgan said. “That is the message the trust sent out during this key time as our A&E had been downgraded to a UTC.

“They did not give any high profile to the fact you’d have to book through 111 for later hours. The material now from the trust now implies that you have to.

“I think this is a genuine miscommunication and now the public, as well as the councillors who supported the original downgrade, are faced with having a dependency on a system that clearly isn’t working.

“One appointment an hour is ridiculous, where’s the urgency in that? It sounds more like a GP practice to me.”

She called for clear messaging from the health trust moving forward.

“People need to know, otherwise they could be risking their life. This brings with it problems that the site might not be viable in the future.

“Because of the extended staffing levels at Grantham, if they aren’t used we will lose that amenity too, because that is exactly how they have operated in the past.”