New Endoscopy Unit planned for Lincoln County Hospital to address growing demand
Plans to build a new facility for the Endoscopy Unit at Lincoln County Hospital have been unveiled.
A planning application from United Lincoln Hospitals NHS Trust for the erection of a building to a form a new Endoscopy Unit has been submitted to City of Lincoln Council.
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.
According to the Trust, there is a strong need for this new facility, as the current unit, situated in a temporary building, has been in active use for over 30 years. Comprising a wooden structure, the current environment is considered poor for both patient care and staff working conditions.
The Trust fears that without replacing these facilities, the hospital could lose its Joint Advisory Group (JAG) Accreditation.
Furthermore, planning documents highlight that the current unit is at maximum capacity for treatments with no room for expansion. The proposal being put forward will increase the number of endoscopy procedure rooms, which is especially needed due to the national age for testing being lowered to those aged over 50.
Currently, there are 45 staff members on site using the existing facilities. This development will enable the Trust to deliver a greater number of facilities, allowing staffing levels to increase to around 50-55 in the future.
Roughly 65 patients per day are expected to be seen within the unit, a number that could rise to around 80 when the additional procedure rooms become operational.
The current site previously comprised a parking area for staff, consisting of approximately 40 spaces with an area of hardstanding. Unfortunately, this will be lost to facilitate the development, although alternative parking provisions have been made across the wider hospital site.
Recently completed works in the West Wing Car Park have created an additional 22 spaces. Additional parking, acquired from the local mental health Trust (LPFT), will also be provided, delivering an extra 28 spaces on site.
In its Planning Statement, United Lincoln Hospitals NHS Trust wrote: “The current Endoscopy Unit at Lincoln County Hospital requires replacing as it is situated within a temporary building which has now been in active use for over 30 years.
“Given the temporary nature of the building, the environment is poor for both patient care and staff working. This is putting the hospital at risk of losing its Joint Advisory Group (JAG) Accreditation, meaning that without these new facilities, there is a strong likelihood that patients will have to travel out of the county for certain procedures.
“The development proposal will see the provision of modern healthcare facilities which will increase the capacity of and improve endoscopy procedures at Lincoln County Hospital. On this basis, there is strong justification and need for these replacement facilities.”
It added: “The proposed development is of a high-quality design, of an appropriate scale and makes beneficial use of previously developed land whilst also reinforcing the role of the hospital as a key provider of healthcare facilities.”