Healthwatch Lincolnshire calls for radical change to boost patient safety for our area

Health campaigners say that our hospitals have been under-performing for so long that radical changes are needed to happen to ensure patient safety.

Healthwatch Lincolnshire say that more funding and better local infrastructure are needed to help attract more clinical staff to the county as the current shortages are ‘like swimming in treacle’.

Chief executive Sarah Fletcher has spoken out after United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, which runs Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, has declared two critical incidents in recent weeks. National media suggested that the longest wait at Lincoln Hospital was 35 hours.

Ms Fletcher said: “The problems with not just our A & E departments but across nearly all areas in hospitals across our patch cannot be resolved easily.

“Our NHS hospital services have been stretched, challenged, and underperforming for so long no one change will improve the situation.”

“More funding, new recruitment initiatives, better local infrastructure to make Lincolnshire a first choice to live for doctors, nurses, care workers and other specialist healthcare staff is essential.

“Many initiatives have been in place for a long while with oversees recruitment drives, and the Lincoln Medical School being just two, we are aware that the boards and committees responsible for workforce continue to work hard to try to improve the situation, but staffing problems remain as if they are ‘swimming in treacle’.”

The pressure is also being experienced at Johnson Community Hospital’s urgent treatment centre.

Another of the hospitals which serve this area - The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn -has more than 2,000 props to hold up its roof.

East Midlands Ambulance Service struggled with response times in the autumn - one South Holland patient had to wait more than 23 hours - due to issues like increased demand and patient handovers.

Mrs Fletcher said: “Healthwatch Lincolnshire is very concerned for people across Lincolnshire and in the case of patients needing to go to Queen Elizabeth Hospital particularly in an emergency, the continued pressures this and many of our hospitals are facing is serious.

“Following a serious accident or medical emergency as we all know patients need to be dealt with and stabilised as quickly as possible, unfortunately this is not happening in all cases.

“Where there are poorly patients sat in waiting rooms for hours and receiving treatment in non-clinical areas this can only lead to safety concerns and potential patient harm.

“Healthwatch Lincolnshire on behalf of residents will be liaising with Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board and Partnership to share experiences and ask what actions are in place to help to resolve the pressures.”

Ms Fletcher said that GP surgeries continue to experience pressure but say that more patients are having face-to-face appointments.

She went onto say: “This is good news especially if it avoids a patient feeling they have no option other than go to A & E which in most cases is not the most appropriate place for them to be.

“Access to local primary healthcare is essential for us all and be reassured that Healthwatch Lincolnshire continue to champion for this on behalf of local people.”