Public meeting to fight children's ward closure at Pilgrim
Campaigners have called a public meeting in response to the possible closure of the children’s ward at Boston Pilgrim Hospital.
The meeting has been called by the SoS Pilgrim group and follows United Lincolnshire Hospital’s Trust decision to review paediatric services at the hospital.
ULHT has proposed five options for the service, including the temporary closure of the inpatient ward from June 4, and is expected to make a decision on May 25.
Other options include:
- Maintaining services as they are;
- Closing paediatric services from June 4 and retaining consultant-led obstetrics and neonatology until July 1 when staffing can no longer support neonatology;
- Maintain current services including neonatology but stop all planned paediatric operations at both Pilgrim and Lincoln County hospitals;
- Providers across the region to cover neonatal services for Pilgrim maternity and neonatology from July 1.
The public meeting will be held at Boston Grammar School tomorrow (Thursday, May 10), from 7pm in an effort to save the service.
Boston and Skegness MP, Matt Warman, is expected to attend the meeting and raised the issue in the House of Commons a week ago, asking Prime Minister Theresa May whether she could work with him to ensure more is done to recruit doctors to the NHS. She assured him that “every effort was being made” to recruit more staff and to keep children’s services open at the hospital.
Jackie Doyle-Price MP, minister responsible for children’s health also yesterday (Tuesday, May 8) promised that every effort will be made to make sure this happens and to "leave no stone unturned” to ensure more paediatricians are employed at Pilgrim Hospital.