Mental health services remain unaffected at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital

Plans to temporarily move mental health services at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital were ceased.

We reported in February this year that, due to pressure over the winter, it was being considered to move patients from the Rochford Unit - the specialist older adult mental health unit - to hospitals in Lincoln and Grantham.

This was so the unit at Pilgrim could be used for the 'elderly and frail' waiting to be sent home.

Ian Jerams, Director of Operations at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As part of the Lincolnshire health and care community working together to manage increased demand on services during the winter, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust considered whether we could work to free up the use of our specialist older adult mental health unit, the Rochford Unit at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, as a temporary measure to support discharges from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

"Despite our original aspirations the decision was taken to no longer pursue this temporary change of use, as we were unable to release the necessary resources to provide home treatment services.

"This would have been essential to support our older adult mental health patients at home and prevent hospital admission.

"Were we to go ahead with the original plans, this lack of home treatment would have resulted in a number of people being admitted out of area and would have had an unacceptable impact for our patients and carers.

"It was therefore decided not to continue with this planned change and for the Rochford unit to remain as a specialist older adult mental health ward.”