Grantham A&E overnight closure ‘very disappointing’

The ongoing overnight closure of Grantham hospital’s A&E unit until February is “very disappointing”, according to a union.

The A&E department has been temporarily shut between 18:30 and 09:00 since August due to a lack of staff.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT) said nine additional doctors had been recruited but haven’t started to work yet.

Unison said it was “seeking urgent meetings with the trust” for a fast resolution to the “huge staffing gap”.

Dave Godson, from Unison, said: “It’s very disappointing that the trust has not managed to recruit sufficient medical staff to allow the A&E department to reopen.”

With winter, fast approaching, access to A&E facilities for local people across Grantham, Boston is very important.

On Tuesday, ULHT announced the unit would stay closed overnight but said it had recruited locum agency staff and permanent staff” at Grantham as well as two other locum staff at Lincoln A&E. However, none had started work “due to the recruitment process time.

Supporters say closing the hospitals is putting patient’s safety in danger, however the trust denies this.

ULHT says it doesn’t have enough doctors to staff the department safely as well as maintain services in Lincoln and Boston, which take care of more patients.