Councillors will oppose downgrade of Grantham Hospital at today’s extraordinary meeting

A motion is being put to the Extraordinary Meeting of South Kesteven District Council to discuss Grantham Hospital A&E Downgrade proposals. 
It comes from Labour’s Coun Charmaine Morgan and is seconded by Conservative Linda Wootten.

It reads: “South Kesteven District Council opposes any downgrade of Granthan and District Hospital Accident and Emergency Services. We call for a full restoration of 24/7 A&E services and Acute beds available at Grantham and District Hospital prior to its night closure in August 2016.

“Any loss of Acute Care at Grantham and District Hospital will result in the most sick, most vulnerable including our elderly, our children, our lowest income, our disabled residents and those without cars or unable to drive, having to travel among the furthest for acute medical treatment.

“This includes the latest proposal to downgrade Grantham and District A&E to an Urgent Treatment Centre by Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (LCCG) as outlined in its Acute Service Review (ASR) 2021. If implemented this latest plan would cement the reduction in acute services at Grantham and District Hospital made by the CCG and United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust over several years.

“According to the LCCG ASR 2021, their proposal will require up to 700 acutely ill local people a year to travel to alternative A&E sites for appropriate care. This will result in worsened medical outcomes for those people and put local lives at risk.”