All operations and clinics at Grantham Hospital’s have been cancelled after a fire broke out overnight in the basement of A&E.

Several wards were evacuated and patients were moved from their beds at just after 6.30pm on Tuesday, April 19.

Four fire crews were called to the scene and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said that the fire was found in the electrical switch system in the hospital causing a power cut at the site.

No-one is believed to have been injured in the fire.

Anyone who needs A&E should go to the next closest hospital, either in Lincoln, Nottingham, Peterborough, Boston or Doncaster.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is currently reviewing the situation and patients in need of emergency care should call 111.

All operations and outpatient clinics scheduled at a Lincolnshire hospital have been postponed for a further day after a fire broke out overnight on Tuesday.

Several wards at Grantham Hospital were evacuated and patients were moved from their beds at just after 6.30pm on Tuesday, April 19.

Four fire crews were called to the scene and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said that the fire was found in the electrical switch system in the hospital causing a power cut at the site.

Patients in need of emergency care are currently being diverted to other nearby A&E departments.

Dr Suneil Kapadia, medical director at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Following a small electrical fire at Grantham Hospital on Tuesday evening that affected the power supply to the hospital, we will unfortunately have to postpone all operations and outpatient clinics on Thursday.

“We will be contacting all patients affected, and we apologise for the inconvenience this causes people.

“Our Accident and Emergency department continues to be closed. This will be reviewed on Wednesday evening.

“To ensure patient safety, ambulances are diverting patients to other A&Es and we are asking patients who need care urgently to call 111 for advice.

“ULHT staff are working hard to restore power and to return services back to normal as quickly as possible.

“We’d like to thank staff who have been brilliant and really pulled together to provide support in the best interest of patients.

“Thanks also to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and EMAS who have also helped and been very responsive.

“If patients would like to talk to someone about their postponed appointment, please call PALS at Grantham on 01476 464861. PALS will be open until 8pm tonight and reopen at 7am on Thursday morning.”

The NHS trust providing mental health services in Lincolnshire has been rated as ‘inadequate’ at keeping patients safe in a new report.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) examined the core services provided by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust between November 30 and December 4, 2015, ranking the overall effectiveness of the trust as ‘requires improvement’.

Particular concern was raised over the safety of patients, with the inspection team giving the trust the lowest possible ranking in this area.

Inspectors said that some wards, including children’s mental health units, had fittings that vulnerable people could use to commit suicide.

These so-called ligature anchor points had not been adequately addressed by the trust, the report said.

Patients’ privacy and dignity was highlighted as a key concern, with some wards failing to meet the requirements of single sex accommodation guidance or the Mental Health Act code of practice.

The report said: “Within older people’s services, the dormitories on Brant ward and Rochford unit and the acute service at Peter Hodgkinson Centre did not allow for patients’ privacy and dignity, with curtains separating beds in some bay bedrooms.”

Staff levels at some of the facilities were also questioned by inspectors.

The report said: “Staffing was generally sufficient on the wards. However, we found that staffing while meeting the trust target was low at night within the forensic, some rehabilitation and the children’s mental health units.

“We were concerned about these units due to their location, as they were not near to other services, so could not rely on support from additional staff should an emergency arise.

In addition some wards, particularly in older people’s services, were using very high levels of bank and agency staff to meet their staffing targets.

“In the previous three months 687 shifts had been filled in older people wards by bank or agency staff.”

Inspectors added further concerns about the levels of training for some staff, and that not all clinical risk assessments in older people’s wards had been undertaken or reviewed, meaning that the needs and risks to patients were not always known or addressed.

The trust was equally criticised for its inconsistent use of emergency call systems for employees working on their own, and its prescribing, management and storage of medication at community services.

Overall, the inspectors said that “there was not always clear evidence of learning and improvements to practice following incidents and learning was not always shared across services.”

The trust was also told to improve the effectiveness and leadership of its services but was rated as ‘good’ for its responsiveness and caring.

“Disappointing finding”

LPFT chief executive Dr John Brewin said that he was “disappointed” that the trust had been given a substandard ranking for the safety of its services.

He said: “The overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ is a fair assessment of where we are and within that overall score I’m really pleased with some of the very positive findings from the CQC.

“Three of the 11 services were rated as ‘inadequate’ for safety and it is a disappointing finding.

Where the CQC has identified particular ligature risks, they have been removed. It isn’t as simple as that though. The CQC didn’t identify specific ligature risks – it was around the potential risk in the future but our track record in recent years has been very good and there have been no incidents.

“We’re fully compliant with safe staffing requirements. What the CQC identified was again the potential for risk for areas where staffing might be low. So we meet the minimum requirements but we can’t get away from the fact that it’s a challenge to fully staff our wards all the time.

“Ideally we’d like to avoid having to rely too heavily on agency staff because it’s always better to have continuity of care. We have some new programmes where we’re working with training organisations like local universities to ensure that we can encourage staff to come and work for us.”

When asked how he thought the trust would fare if inspectors conducted an inspection today, he added: “That’s a good question. Within the requires improvement, there was an awful lot of good. Some of the technical issues, especially around the mixed-sex accommodation issue, aren’t quick fixes and there are ongoing discussions about how we can make improvements there.”

CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals and lead for mental health, Dr Paul Lelliott, said: “The trust leadership knows what it needs to do to bring about improvement in the areas identified and our inspectors will return at a later date to check on what progress has been made.”

A new supported housing scheme for people with mental health needs will be constructed in Lincoln under new plans.

Mental health charity Richmond Fellowship has submitted proposals to City of Lincoln Council to change the use of White Gables on Long Leys Road from a house into the facility.

The charity would operate and manage the facility, which would provide assistance to adult mental health sufferers for up to 10 days as an alternative to hospital admission.

Referrals would be made by the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Service, a service delivered by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Richmond Fellowship staff would be present 24 hours a day, with the occupants arriving and departing from the service between 8am and 10pm.

The accommodation would include:

• Six bedrooms (this includes four with en suite shower rooms, and one bedroom
  for a staff member)
• Two bathrooms (including ground floor shower room for disabled users)
• Two living rooms (one is likely to be used as an office for RF staff)
• Dining room
• Utility room

The charity has been operating from The Haven in North Hykeham since July 2015 but this move would allow ensure that they had a permanent site.

Support offered includes money, debt or arrears management; support with welfare benefits; finding training, education or work, and support around social isolation.

Richmond Fellowship also provides support in developing life skills or social skills and accessing other support services, such as emotional and mental health issues.

Agents Tetlow King Planning, representing the applicants, said: “The scheme at White Gables would provide a suitable alternative in replacing the facility at North Hykeham making provision for supported accommodation, and improving the health and wellbeing of existing occupants.

“The perception of potential disturbance to residential amenity and privacy has been problematic in previous applications submitted by Richmond Fellowship. The application site benefits from a secluded location – away from any other properties – therefore resolving any potential impact upon neighbouring residents.

“The property‟s location is considered appropriate in light of the type of supported care that will be provided. In providing short-term, respite care for those who suffer from ill mental health, the facility provides a retreat for the occupants.”

City of Lincoln Council has received the plans and will consider them at a date to be set.

More than 700 appointments have been postponed at Lincolnshire’s hospitals as junior doctors prepare to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The 48 hour strike will begin at 8am on Tuesday, April 26 as junior doctors continue to protest against the decision by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to enforce hotly disputed changes to their pay and conditions.

This will be the fifth occasion junior doctors have gone out on strike this year, but the first time that they will not be providing emergency cover in NHS history.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has confirmed that 745 outpatient appointments and 18 operations have been postponed.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Chief operating officer Mark Brassington said that the trust will prioritise patients with the greatest health needs and emergency care.

He said: “Patient safety is our number one priority. We aim to keep disruption to patients to a minimum.

“We have contacted every patient whose appointment is cancelled to re-book. Any patient who has not been contacted should attend their appointment as planned.

“Our emergency care services will be open but are expected to be busy. Therefore we ask all members of the public to help us by using alternatives to A&E unless it is a recent accident or an emergency.

“Before coming to A&E we would urge people to call 111, or visit their GP, pharmacist, walk in centre or their urgent care centre.”

Striking doctors on the picket line at Lincoln County Hospital for the first full walkout in NHS history have placed the blame for the ongoing dispute firmly at the door of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The two-day strike began at 8am on Tuesday, April 26, and is the fifth occasion junior doctors have taken part in industrial action so far this year.

However, the doctors are not providing emergency cover as well as elective care.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed that 745 outpatient appointments and 18 operations have been postponed.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Banners reading ‘No More Lies Jeremy’ and ‘Not Safe Not Fair’ were held by the doctors on the picket line in Lincoln.

Junior doctor Tom Smart, who is a local union representative for the BMA, was scathing in his attack on the Health Secretary’s actions since the dispute began.

He said: “The BMA have said to Jeremy Hunt all week that if they lift imposition, then we’ll lift the full walkout but he’s decided that’s not an option he wants to pursue. This is obviously what Jeremy Hunt wants.

A seven-day NHS needs to be clarified by Jeremy Hunt. If he wants to have a seven-day elective service, then he needs to put a lot more money into it. If he means a seven-day emergency service, well we already have that.

“For the last week and a bit, there’s been people outside the Department of Health throughout the day and occasionally at night always happy to talk to Jeremy Hunt and it’s Jeremy Hunt who has refused to go to the negotiating table. Just yesterday he was chauffeured 50 yards to avoid them and I think that shows that he isn’t willing to engage in talks.”

In a statement to Parliament, the Health Secretary said that the new contract offers junior doctors who work frequently at weekends more Saturday premium pay than nurses, paramedics, than the assistants who work in their own operating theatres, more than police officers or fire fighters and nearly every other worker in the public and private sectors.

He said:

Regrettably, over the course of this pay dispute 150,000 sick and vulnerable people have seen their care disrupted, and the public will rightly question whether this is appropriate or proportionate action by professionals whose patients depend on them.

“The impact of the next two days will be unprecedented with over 110,000 outpatient appointments and over 12,500 operations cancelled.”

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

But Ryan Huckle, a junior doctor at Lincoln County who has attended all the pickets said that they had been “backed into a corner” by the government.

“We’re very sorry that we’re not in today and tomorrow but the most experienced doctors in the hospital will be covering A&E combined with the support of the fantastic nursing staff,” he said.

“The dispute needs to come to a resolution. There’s only one thing for it and I think everybody that’s got their head screwed on knows that Jeremy Hunt needs to open up his doors, sit down and have a listen to some of the people who actually do the job because we all just want to get back to work.”

Scientists at the University of Lincoln have solved a decades-old medical mystery by finally identifying a previously unknown molecule which is attacked by the immune system in people with type 1 diabetes.

Led by Dr Michael Christie from the University of Lincoln, the ground-breaking research into the molecule, known as ‘Glima’, could now lead to better identification of individuals at risk of type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes develops when the body is unable to produce insulin; a substance required to regulate blood sugar levels by moving glucose out of the blood and into cells to be used for energy.

Dr Christie, Reader in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln, said: “Being able to detect circulating autoantibodies and identify their molecular targets has allowed scientists to develop tests for the clinical diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, and for the identification of individuals at high risk of developing the disease.

“We already had some knowledge about the physical properties of ‘Glima’ but its molecular identity has for many years proved elusive.

“Our research successfully identified ‘Glima’ as the substance Tetraspanin-7.”

Dr Christie’s team have successfully identified this fifth molecule, known only as ‘Glima’ as Tetraspanin-7, which could make tests for predicting Type 1 diabetes more accurate.

They are now searching for ways to block the immune attack, in order to prevent type 1 diabetes from developing in those at a high risk.

The research was funded by Diabetes UK and the Society for Endocrinology and is published in Diabetes, the journal of the American Diabetes Association.

Dr Emily Burns, Research Communications Manager at Diabetes UK, said, “In order to prevent type 1 diabetes, we need to fully understand how the immune response that damages insulin-producing cells develops in the first place.

“Dr Christie’s impressive research is helping us to do just that. We hope that the findings here will be used to improve the identification of those at risk of type 1 diabetes and, in the long-term, inform the crucial development of therapies that can stop this immune response from happening and ultimately prevent type 1 diabetes.”

Junior doctors across Lincolnshire are taking part in a second day of industrial action over proposed new contracts.

NHS England said 78% of junior doctors participated on day one of the first all-out strike in history on Tuesday, April 26, which included emergency care.

The second day stoppage lasts until 5pm, with nurses and consultants filling the gaps in A&E and intensive care.

In a previous poll on The Lincolnite, which was taken by 167 people, 67% voted that they were in support of the junior doctors on strike.

Have your say:

As the second day of all-out stoppage gets underway, people from both sides of the argument have been airing their views.

Some have been in support of the striking staff:

While other have questioned their motives:

Over 700 planned hospital appointments have been cancelled across Lincolnshire as a result of the two days of action.

Striking doctors on the picket line at Lincoln County Hospital blamed Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt for the ongoing row in the fifth strike this year.

Junior doctor Tom Smart, who is a local union representative for the BMA, said: “The BMA have said to Jeremy Hunt all week that if they lift imposition, then we’ll lift the full walkout but he’s decided that’s not an option he wants to pursue. This is obviously what Jeremy Hunt wants.”

Jeremy Hunt has said has said he was disappointed the strike was taking place, but the government would not be backing down or halting imposition of the new contract.

A dedicated webpage has been set up on NHS Choices to provide information about the strike, with patients being told to ‘only attend A&E if it is essential’.

An £850,000 refurbishment of Lincoln County Hospital’s endoscopy unit has seen improvements to patient care, say the trust in charge of the county’s hospitals.

The makeover of the unit on Greetwell Road has seen new admitting, changing and recovery rooms created, as well as a designated clinical room for bowel cancer screening to provide privacy and dignity for patients.

A new path has also been built outside so that patients can access the unit safely.

The endoscopy unit cares for patients undergoing endoscopy procedures, which are procedures where the inside of your body is examined using an endoscope – a long, thin, flexible tube that has a light source and a video camera at one end.

Around 6,500 patients use the unit in Lincoln each year.

The developments have meant that the unit has recently been given Joint Advisory Group accreditation, a national award set up to ensure high standards of care in clinical quality, quality of patient experience, training and workforce.

Nikki Woodcock, Head of Endoscopy, Screening and Physiological Sciences for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I’m so proud of the team in the Lincoln endoscopy unit for all their hard work to ensure they can provide the best possible care for their patients.

“The JAG accreditation is not only down to the environmental changes that have taken place, but also down to the excellent working practices of the team, and the efforts they have put in to ensure the unit is well staffed and well used.”

Health professionals pressing for a Lincolnshire medical school have requested a meeting with the chief executive of a national health improvement body after a campaign to the government failed to make any concrete progress.

A letter signed by healthcare experts and six of Lincolnshire’s seven MPs was sent to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in March, urging him to prioritise the creation of a medical school to help “support a struggling health economy.”

Their campaign received a response from Ben Gummer MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Health Services, who sympathised with the difficulties faced by Lincolnshire.

However, he said that the government is not responsible for deciding the number and location of medical school places, and that this is decided by an independent body, Health Education England (HEE).

The campaigners are now planning to write to Professor Ian Cumming, Chief Executive of HEE to request a face-to-face meeting over the possibility of establishing a medical school.

Dr Kieran Sharrock, Medical Director of the Lincolnshire Local Medical Committee, said: “A medical school in Lincolnshire is essential for the long term development of the health and care services of Lincolnshire.

“There are a number of solutions to this problem which we are developing, including; use of alternative practitioners, new models of care, use of technology, and international recruitment.

“However, the establishment of a medical school in Lincolnshire would provide a long-term solution, as medical schools improve recruitment and retention of health and care professionals.”

The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been told it must improve following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

A damning report by the watchdog followed its inspection of the trust between November 16 and 20 and on December 3 last year, ranking the service overall as ‘requires improvement’.

The full report for the trust will be published on CQC’s website today.

Two of the five areas of the report were marked as ‘good’ – care and responsiveness – and the effectiveness of services and the question of whether services were well-led were both marked as ‘requires improvement’.

Inspectors raised particular concern over the safety of patients and were critical of the service’s ability to protect people from the risk of avoidable harm.

For this, the trust was ranked as ‘inadequate’ for safety – the lowest possible grading.

Latest CQC report findings for EMAS.

EMAS says the issue ultimately relates to a lack of staffing and vehicles, exacerbated by the length of time response vehicles are kept waiting at hospitals.

Other judgements regarding patient safety highlighted that mandatory training rates were not being met, there was a challenge in retaining staff and standards of cleanliness were inconsistent.

Staff noted in the report they did not always have time to clean ambulances in between patient episodes.

Recording and feedback in relation to incidents was also of concern.

Between August 2014 and August 2015, of the 54 serious incidents reported six were recorded as lack of available resources or delayed response times which could potentially have contributed to patient deaths.

Inspectors found were working to improve on response times but were consistently below the national target of 75% within eight minutes and there was a lack of ‘appropriate skill mix’ to meet the needs of patients.

CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said: “Our inspectors found that a number of improvements were needed at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

“We found that, while people were cared for and treated well, there were insufficient staff and a lack of appropriate skill mix to meet the needs of patients in a timely manner.

“We found that staff were passionate about their jobs and committed to providing high quality, safe care for patients, but they also openly recognised they faced challenges and morale was low.

“Since our inspection we have been monitoring the trust and working closely with NHS Improvement and other stakeholders, such as NHS England.

“The trust leadership knows what it needs to do to bring about improvement and our inspectors will return at a later date to check on what progress has been made.”

Inspectors also noted some outstanding practice across the trust such as the life-saving actions of staff members in stressful situations, its mental health triage and best-in-the-country status for its rate of answering calls.

The trust’s former Chief Executive Sue Noyes was praised in the report by staff for her ‘visible, open approach’. Sue recently stepped down from her role for “family reasons”.

“We are sorry”

EMAS ‘ Acting Chief Executive Richard Henderson.

EMAS’s headquarters are in Nottingham and it provides emergency medical services to around 4.8 million people living in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.

Every day the trust receives around 2,000 calls from members of the public dialling 999.

EMAS Acting Chief Executive Richard Henderson said he was “disappointed” to have not met the required standards for a number of measures.

He said: “The report recognises that we have been working really hard to improve response times to emergency calls.

“However there are concerns that ultimately relate to our lack of resource (staff and vehicles), made worse by the numbers often kept waiting at hospital, and lack of capacity to do things as quickly and as well as we need to.

“As a result we have been rated as ‘inadequate’ for safety. The report makes it clear that this relates to insufficient numbers of staff and vehicles – not to the quality of care provided by our staff.

“We are rated ‘requires improvement’ for the effective and well-led measures.

“We are sorry and disappointed that we have not met the required standard for these measures.

“We are taking the CQC findings seriously and value the additional support that we will be getting from other NHS organisations.

“Despite funding challenges during 2015/16, we have recruited over 300 new frontline staff since April 2015, and following the approval of a Business Case in March 2016 we will invest in an additional 68 ambulance vehicles this year.

“Another big challenge we face is retaining our staff and recruiting qualified colleagues to improve our skill mix.

“There is a national shortage of paramedics and the better work life balance and pay rates for paramedics in other areas of the NHS (e.g. urgent care centres) makes it very difficult for us to retain colleagues.”

EMAS Chairman Pauline Tagg added: “We accept the CQCs report and welcome their observations following the inspection in November 2015.

“The CQC recognised that there is a clear vision in place and that our Trust Board operated effectively.

“I have confidence in our Acting Chief Executive, and the recent appointments of a chief operating officer and improvement advisor will help us to address the ‘must do’ actions identified by the CQC, and further strengthen and drive improvements already identified at EMAS.”

Members and customers at Lincolnshire Co-op are being encouraged to sign a petition against the government’s plans to slash community pharmacy provision.

Over a quarter of Lincolnshire’s 125 pharmacies could be scrapped in a bid by the government to cut £170 million of NHS funding.

Estimates from Health Minister Alistair Burt in January 2016 suggested that up to 3,000 pharmacies could close across the country, including many on Britain’s high streets.

Lincolnshire Co-op, which itself runs 49 community pharmacies, is taking part in the national ‘Support Your Local Pharmacy’ campaign, led by the National Pharmacy Association.

A petition is available for members of the public to sign in pharmacies across Lincolnshire, with the Co-op also promoting it in its food stores.

Use of Co-op pharmacies has actually increased in the first half of the year by 4.7%, with more than 2.6 million prescriptions issued.

Over 8,000 patients also used the other range of health services on offer at the pharmacies, such as flu vaccinations, health checks and stop smoking clinics.

Nationally, around 1.6 million people visit a community pharmacy every day in England and 84% of all adults visit a pharmacy every year.

Superintendent pharmacist Alastair Farquhar. Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op

Superintendent pharmacist Alastair Farquhar said: “We’re very concerned about the Department of Health proposals to cut funding to the sector and significantly reduce the number of ‘bricks and mortar’ pharmacies across England.

“We don’t simply dispense prescriptions. We’re the most accessible health practitioners available within the NHS network.

“We advise on medicines use and minor ailments, we act as gatekeepers to other key parts of the NHS. We’re trusted by people with health worries. We’re available longer hours than GP surgeries and we’re available at weekends.

So much of what we do flies quietly under the radar because it can’t be measured or calculated but if the pharmacy is no longer there, where will all these consultations go? Presumably to the already overworked GP surgery, the walk in clinic or worse – to Accident and Emergency.

“It also seems that the Department of Health wants more patients to receive medicines through online providers and ‘have them delivered to their home’. The vast majority of pharmacies – including Lincolnshire Co-op’s – already offer free home delivery to any patient that requests the service.

“The difference with a community pharmacy home delivery service is that there will be a consistency of driver, a relationship that builds with the patient, an understanding when something is not right at the patient’s home and a line of communication back to the pharmacist if more help or information is needed.

“We also have carefully regulated processes to ensure controlled drugs or temperature sensitive medicines are delivered safely.”

Accident and emergency departments at Lincolnshire’s hospitals have once again failed to meet government targets for seeing patients within four hours.

NHS England figures for March show that 80.3% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged from Lincolnshire’s A&E departments within four hours of arrival – well below the 95% target.

The situation has deteriorated since February, when 81.1% of patients were seen within four hours.

Mark Brassington, Chief Operating Officer at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, admitted that A&E departments have been “very busy” in recent months, especially in the last week.

He said: “Grantham has had its highest number of attendances on record. Pilgrim Hospital has had attendances of 182 patientsagainst an average of approximately 140 and the Lincoln site has regularly seen up to 240 attendances per day against an average of around 180.

When we are busy unfortunately we can’t always see and treat people within four hours. We do prioritise so that the sickest patients are seen and assessed quickly.

“Both health and social services across Lincolnshire remain very busy and we are working together to improve our A&E performance, by focusing on freeing up beds in our hospitals for urgent and planned care patients. Freeing up beds on the wards has a direct impact on how long patients wait in A&E.

“We ask people to only attend A&E with serious or life threatening illnesses and to seek alternative support for ongoing problems or minor injuries.

“Those who attend with minor conditions will still be treated, but potentially will have long waits.”

Take a look behind-the-scenes at Lincoln County Hospital A&E in our video:

A furious Lincolnshire daughter has described a “catalogue of failings” by emergency services which she claims caused her father unnecessary suffering in his final hours.

Cattery owner Liz Burman submitted an official complaint to East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) over the treatment and service provided to her late father, John Geoffrey Leigh, including what she says was a three and a half hour wait for him to be rushed to hospital while he was lying on the floor in agony.

John died at Lincoln County Hospital on April 1, aged 82, a day after injuring his neck following a fall.

An inquest will be held in Lincoln later this year.

Liz’s daughter, 17-year-old Keeley, found her grandfather, and an ambulance was called for just after 1pm on March 31.

She explained a LIVES first responder was sent to the scene, and radioed for a trained paramedic, who attended within 20 minutes.

Conscious and with a bed holding his head off the floor, Liz claims that the paramedic moved the bed, causing John’s head to smack against the floor, leaving him in excruciating pain.

Liz, 50, said: “We were horrified at what the paramedic was doing. My dad let out a dreadful groan and was slapped down onto the floor, with blood congealing in his mouth.

The paramedic then said ‘I bet that smarted a bit’, which was shocking.

“Dad was then put on his back which was the wrong thing to do as his oxygen levels began to fall.”

She told The Lincolnite an ambulance arrived two hours later and John was given painkillers.

However, Liz claims that the all-female crew said that they could not lift him, and that they needed a bariatric ambulance, used for severely obese patients.

Liz said that a suitable ambulance finally showed up at the house in the village of Lea at 4.20pm.

Even then John was supported by blocks as he was lifted into the ambulance, as Liz claims that the paramedics said that they did not have a neck brace that was large enough for him.

John was treated on the Shuttleworth Ward at Lincoln County Hospital but passed away the following day at 4.10pm.

Following her father’s death, Liz wrote a letter to EMAS and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, outlining her displeasure at the service provided, and the perceived lack of dignity the family received at Lincoln County Hospital.

She said: “I’m very angry with EMAS, who made out that my dad was incredibly obese which he wasn’t, he was about 17 or 18 stone, and the paramedic clearly did not do his job properly.

“Nearly three and a half hours for an ambulance is a disgrace.”

An investigation was launched by the ambulance trust, who apologised to Liz in for their inability to respond sooner.

However, they defended the actions of the paramedic, stating he was unable to assess John due to the location of the bed, and that he acted with “good intent”.

The letter also stated that two double crew ambulances were needed to safely move John from the house because of his size.

A spokesperson for EMAS added: “We carried out an investigation into Mrs Burman’s concerns and provided a detailed response on our findings.

“In our letter, we also offered Mrs Burman our sincere apologies for the distress and anxiety caused.

If she feels we have not provided a suitable explanation on the issues she raised, we will be happy to review our findings.

ULHT has yet to respond to Liz.

However, Michelle Rhodes, Director of Nursing at the trust, told The Lincolnite: “We are deeply sorry to hear about the concerns raised by Mrs Burman and would like to offer our condolences to her on the death of her father.

“Although we are not able to comment on individual cases, we would like to make it clear that we strive to provide quality, safe and dignified care to every patient cared for in our hospitals.

“We will of course investigate the complaint and talk to the family as soon as possible. We’d like to thank the family for raising it with us.”

Plans for a new supported housing scheme for people with mental health needs in Lincoln will go before councillors next week.

Mental health charity Richmond Fellowship submitted proposals to City of Lincoln Council in April 2016 to change the use of White Gables on Long Leys Road.

The charity would operate and manage the facility, which would provide assistance to adult mental health sufferers for up to 10 days as an alternative to hospital admission.

Referrals would be made by the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Service, delivered by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Richmond Fellowship staff would be present 24 hours a day, with the occupants arriving and departing from the service between 8am and 10pm.

The accommodation would include:

• Six bedrooms (this includes four with en suite shower rooms, and one bedroom
  for a staff member)
• Two bathrooms (including ground floor shower room for disabled users)
• Two living rooms (one is likely to be used as an office for RF staff)
• Dining room
• Utility room

The charity has been operating from The Haven in North Hykeham since July 2015 but this move would allow ensure that they had a permanent site.

City of Lincoln Council will decide on the plans at a meeting of the planning committee on May 25.

A potential breakthrough in the long-running contract dispute between junior doctors and the government has been welcomed by one striking health professional in Lincoln.

Talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and government negotiators over the last two weeks have resulted in a deal being reached by both sides.

The deal will now be presented to BMA members to vote on next month.

Five junior doctors’ strikes have taken place already in 2016, including the first full walkout in NHS history.

Junior doctors on the picket line outside Lincoln County Hospital on February 10. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Junior doctor Tom Smart, who is also a local BMA rep said: “It looks like a deal of some sort has been reached by the BMA and the government which is obviously good news.

“The hope is that the details of the deal are released by the BMA on May 31 for junior doctors to take a look over.

“We then vote on the terms put to us and of course there’s a chance that it could be rejected – it’s not a done deal yet.

“But I’m quietly optimistic and it’s positive for the public that a contract appears to have been agreed which is safe and preserves the future of the NHS.”

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “The talks have been constructive and positive and highlighted many areas outside the contract where further work is necessary to value the vital role of junior doctors and improve the training and support they are given.

“This deal represents a definitive step forward for patients, for doctors, and for the NHS as a whole.”

Chris Busby (left) with retired nurse Giles Wynne. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The negotiations over the last 10 days have been chaired throughout by Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) chairman Sir Brendan Barber.

He said: “The negotiators from both sides have worked with great intensity and in a good spirit to achieve this breakthrough.

“I have particularly appreciated the positive leadership shown by Sir David Dalton and Dr Johann Malawana throughout these talks.

“I am grateful too that the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt engaged directly with the negotiations to help move the discussions forward.”

A total of 55 patients have effectively been brought back from the dead after suffering a heart attack thanks to a specialist service at Lincoln County Hospital.

The Lincolnshire Heart Centre team has spent the last 18 months attempting to improve survival rates for patients who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA), one of the leading causes of death in the UK.

An OOHCA is where someone has a cardiac arrest in the community and has to be put on a ventilator before admission to hospital.

The service sees patients bypass their local hospital and admitted directly to the heart centre where their condition can be treated most effectively.

Hospital bosses have said that survival rates from OOCHA patients have risen from 5% to nearly 50% as part of the project.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust also said that the service redesign was undertaken within existing budgets and without additional investment.

Alun Roebuck, Consultant Nurse in Cardiology at Lincoln, said: “This collaborative project has been a fantastic success in helping us provide care for the sickest patients in Lincolnshire.

“Many of these patients have been dead for several minutes so getting to them quickly and treating their symptoms in the most appropriate place is key to their survival.

“Achieving survival rates for our patients that are better than the national average is a real accomplishment in such a rural area as Lincolnshire.”

A retired Lincolnshire man who lived with a tumour the size of a melon on his neck for more than 20 years has undergone surgery to remove it at hospital.

Ian Crow, 66, of Ashby, underwent surgery at Scunthorpe hospital to remove the lump which weighed 1.2kg and is believed to be the third largest in the world of its kind.

He had lived with the slow growing tumour for 24 years and described it as “a part of him”.

Ian Crow lived with the benign tumour for 24 years

After a biopsy test and a number of scans, Ian underwent a two-hour operation to remove the tumour.

He said: “It started growing in 1992 but I’d got used to it after all those years, it was a part of me that grew with me.

“I’d come to accept it but in the end I did get fed up of it and wanted it removing. It never hurt, I was able to sleep fine and the only time it really bothered me was in the summer.

When I got to retirement age though I felt it was time for it to go.

Ian Crow thanks his surgeon Ganapathy Dhanasekar

Ian’s surgeon, Ganapathy Dhanasekar, ENT and thyroid consultant, said: “The tumour was what we call a pleomorphic adenoma, which is a benign tumour of the parotid salivary gland.

“It was a slow growing tumour, the size of which presented us with quite a challenge.

I’m pleased that he is happy with the result. It was a challenge, but it all went very well and the scar is healing nicely and the most important thing is that the tumour was benign.

“He doesn’t need any more treatment now and it was great to be able to offer this treatment locally for him.”

Dr Dhanasekar was assisted in the procedure by Stephen Crank, maxillofacial consultant at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

A new supported housing scheme for mental health sufferers in Lincoln has been approved by councillors.

City of Lincoln Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead to change the use of White Gables on Long Leys Road into the facility at a meeting on Wednesday, May 25.

Seven of the councillors voted in favour of the proposals, while two objected to application.

Mental health charity Richmond Fellowship will operate the facility, with staff on duty 24 hours a day.

Referrals would be made by the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Service, delivered by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The accommodation will act as an alternative to hospital admissions, with patients being able to stay for up to 10 days.

Richmond Fellowship has been operating from The Haven in North Hykeham since July 2015, but this move will ensure that they have a permanent base in the city.

The accommodation will include:

• Six bedrooms (this includes four with en suite shower rooms, and one bedroom
  for a staff member)
• Two bathrooms (including ground floor shower room for disabled users)
• Two living rooms (one is likely to be used as an office for RF staff)
• Dining room
• Utility room

Councillors have been presented with ambitious £15 million proposals that would see Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue services, the county’s police force and ambulances operating from one joint emergency campus in Lincoln.

A report outlining the Blue Light Collaboration Programme was presented by Acting Chief Fire Officer Nick Borrill and Deputy Divisional Commander Dave Gilbert at County Hall on Wednesday, June 1.

New buildings would be constructed at South Park Avenue in Lincoln under the plans for the single control centre and police staff would move out of the current West Parade site.

The key elements of the project include:

• A combined Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue HQ, with the fire service moving its HQ to the current police HQ in Nettleham. A number of police staff from West Parade would also move to Nettleham, allowing the redevelopment of South Park Avenue and the sale of West Parade. (EMAS do not intend to co-locate with a joint HQ at this stage).
• A joint blue light campus at South Park, where the existing LFR and EMAS operational stations would be rebuilt. The campus would retain the county emergency planning centre and would also include a new LP town enquiry office and custody suite, which is currently provided at West Parade.
• Rationalisation of the wider blue light estate. A Joint Asset Management Group has undertaken a feasibility study of Lincolnshire’s emergency service buildings across the county. The group has currently identified up to 16 potential sites for co-location.
• A combined Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Command & Control Centre. LFR and LP will co- locate in the existing building. EMAS have indicated a possible move back to the East Midlands area for their Lincolnshire control room and therefore would not currently be included in the joint control room.

Talks were initially ignited in July 2015, when a number of options for emergency services to share facilities were tabled.

Plans have been developed in collaboration between Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire Police, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, East Midlands Ambulance Service and the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The programme will cost the county council £2 million, which will be taken from the development capital contingency budget.

A £7.5 million grant from the government’s Police Innovation Fund was agreed for the project in December, with the condition that the sum was matched by local services – of which the report notes there is £600,000 outstanding. 

The council says in the report its financial analysis determined that “within 11 years, the ‘do nothing’ option would be more expensive to each organisation”.

Chief Constable Neil Rhodes. Photo: The Lincolnite

Neil Rhodes, Chief Constable at Lincolnshire Police, said: “We have been working together to identify opportunities which would enable the emergency services to work more closely together to deliver a better service to the local community.

“Options could include a combined administrative headquarters – perhaps at Nettleham; an operational base perhaps at South Park, as well as a co-located command and control room for the despatch of resources to residents. We could also co-locate services in ambulance stations, police stations or fire stations.

“This is an innovative and exciting concept, but it is complex and should all or any part of it be considered workable, it would take a considerable time to fully implement. Of course, as discussions progress, staff associations will be consulted and public announcements will be made.

“Our overarching principle is to improve the service we provide to Lincolnshire.”

Marc Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, said: “I said during the election process that I supported the prospect of blue light collaboration for Lincolnshire.

“We now know that we have been successful in securing a £7.5m grant from the Home Office Police Innovation Fund which will help us specifically take the project further.

“Whilst West Parade police station may be sold, at the root of this is our firm commitment to policing in Lincoln which will not change.

“Myself and the Chief Constable and all the other agencies involved are very clear that each organisation will maintain its individual identity.

“This is about effective partnership and not ‘take over’.”

Councillor Nick Worth. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Councillor Nick Worth, executive councillor for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This is a very interesting proposal and would see the emergency services in Lincolnshire using their buildings and estates in a more effective manner, which is in line with the government’s agenda for closer collaboration. It would allow financial efficiencies in the longer term, better opportunities for closer working and will undoubtedly improve services for the public.”

The proposals will next be discussed by Lincolnshire County Council’s executive members on June 7.

Normally a project relying on a bid from central government should be delivered within two years. The council expects the proposals may however take longer than this to implement.

A public consultation will be required before a decision is made to move forward with the project.

The report presented to the Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee was initially redacted and exempt from the public domain, however the council released the proposal documents following the meeting.