Concern raised about proposed ‘Patient Service Hub’ in Lincolnshire, with 1,500-plus signing petition against plans

Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group – which covers Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) and United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULTH) – says the hub would ‘bring together and modernise outpatient and inpatient administrative services’.

The proposals were brought to the attention of The Standard by a concerned member of the public, who told the paper that a large number of ULTH jobs were at risk due to a shake-up in administration services.

When The Standard approached ULTH for a comment, it provided a statement that did not confirm jobs were at risk, but acknowledged that proposals for a change to the current model were being shared with staff.

The statement from Caroline Landon, group chief operating officer at Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “We have launched a transformation programme that will significantly improve how we coordinate patient care. Our patients told us they are frustrated by the outdated technology currently used to manage patient appointments and timeliness of communications and letters they receive about their care. For example, we rely on 15 different systems and 40 mailboxes to handle patient bookings. Three-quarters of calls to the Outpatient Appointment Service are simply to check, rebook or cancel appointments — tasks that most people would expect to complete online or via an automated system nowadays.

“That’s why we are introducing the Patient Service Hub, which will bring together and modernise outpatient and inpatient administrative services. By using digital tools, we aim to make processes simpler and more consistent.

“At this stage, this remains a proposal. We are consulting and engaging with the colleagues who will be directly affected by the change, to gather their views and involve them in co-designing the new service. As it is still a proposal, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details until we have heard from staff and considered their feedback.”

Asked for more information about the nature of the proposed hub, ULTH said it could not offer more information as the staff consultation would help shape of it.

However, a petition against the plans set up yesterday says it involves the use of AI.

It says the proposals threaten the jobs of ‘countless dedicated employees’.

It writes: “The plan to replace staff with artificial intelligence in the Patient Service Hub is alarming. While technology can undoubtedly enhance healthcare, its replacement of human roles on such a large scale is unjustifiable. We are looking at a potential large number of job losses within our trust, which will undoubtedly amplify stress and workloads for the remaining employees. This, in turn, could significantly reduce service quality and compromise patient safety – outcomes that cannot be accepted in such a critical field.”

“Furthermore, studies have shown that personal interaction significantly improves patient outcomes,” it adds. “Replacing human staff with AI could undermine the compassionate care for which our trust is known. Patients need empathetic interactions and experienced professionals to attend to their needs — roles that AI cannot fulfil.”