‘Brutal neglect’ – Hospital trust accused of allowing historic Boston home to turn into ‘crumbling wreck’

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) has been accused of ‘brutal neglect’ in relation to East Skirbeck House.

The property, which sits in the hospital grounds near the exit to Sisbey Lane, is a former five-bedroom home dating from the mid-19th century.

It was bought by the Boston Group Hospital Management Committee in 1960, along with the surrounding land, as a site to build a new hospital for the district. It was initially used as the headquarters for the committee, but would go on to act as a base for a number of hospital services including occupational health.

Margaret Simpson worked in the house for more than 30 years, firstly as secretary to the principal nursing officer, but later as a training manager.

In a letter to The Standard, she strongly criticised ULHT for its management of the property.

“Over the years I have watched East Skirbeck House in the grounds of Pilgrim Hospital turn into a crumbling wreck,” she said. “It is obviously now beyond repair and will no doubt be flattened for more car parking spaces. The once beautiful house and estate, part of Boston’s rich heritage, gone.

“The trust will plead that money could not be spend on it’s upkeep as Pilgrim services were their priority. I don’t dispute the point, but there was no plan whatsoever to even maintain it’s basic upkeep even though it still housed working departments until latterly.”

She said East Skirbeck House could have been ‘a showpiece’ for the trust, not ‘an eyesore’.

“It certainly did not deserve such neglect as the magnificent architecture and internal decorative features could have been preserved for Boston’s heritage,” she said.

“Once Pilgrim Health Trust was merged with Lincoln into United Lincolnshire Health Trust (in 2000) we all knew where the lion’s share of the funding would go,” she added.

She said she attempted to get the property protected through English Heritage, but was told too many changes had been made to the building in the process of making it into offices for it to be listed.

“It has been sorely mismanaged with brutal neglect throughout the passing years and it is pitiful destruction of a majestic piece of Boston’s history,” she said. “Shame on those who let it happen.”

A spokesman for ULHT said: “East Skirbeck House has recently undergone work to make it safe but still requires further repair to make it fit for use.

“Those services previously based in East Skirbeck House have been relocated pending a review of the work required.”