Campaigners want to take Pilgrim fight to health secretary

Campaigners want talks with health secretary Jeremy Hunt and NHS England chief Simon Stevens to reverse cuts in children’s services at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital.

Spalding dad Gary De-Vanche, a member of the campaign group Pilgrim SOS, is angry about United Lincolnshire Health Trust’s decision to switch to an ‘interim model’ that will see youngsters forced go to Lincoln or further afield if they need more than 12 hours in an assessment and observation unit.

The unit is due to replace the Boston children’s ward on August 1.

Mr De-Vanche says Pilgrim saved the life of his wife, Natalie, and baby daughter, Isla, now two-and-a-half, following a “crash caesarian”, and believes lives will be at risk if services are downgraded.

“Essentially, the children’s ward is going from Pilgrim,” said Mr De-Vanche. “It is going to be an assessment unit with a 12-hour maxium stay. If a child requires more than 12 hours, they will transfer to Lincoln or another hospital if Lincoln is full.”

He said Friday’s board was muddled on how many beds there are at Lincoln, saying first it was 19 but then only12 were open.

The dad said: “With the changes at at Pilgrim, they said they needed 24 beds at Lincoln but then it would be down to having the right number of staff to be able to man those beds.”

He said initially it was suggested the hospital could help with family accommodation costs but that is being “passed to social care who don’t have any money or staff”.

Some months ago, because of a shortage of doctors, the trust aimed to close all children’s services at Pilgrim, which would have also shut maternity because paediatricians must be on site to treat ill babies.

On Friday trust medical director Dr Neil Hepburn said: “We are continuing our efforts to recruit paediatricians, as we would like to see a full paediatric and neonatal service resumed at the hospital as soon as possible.”
The interim model sees Pilgrim keeping 98 per cent of current activity, including paediatric day surgery and consultant-led maternity, but it will manage only “low-risk" neonatal births (above 34 weeks gestation).

Previously ...

Pilgrim's children's ward to be replaced by assessment unit

Spalding dad's plea in battle to save services at Pilgrim