'˜No current plans' to close Louth Hospital confirmed
Andrew Morgan - the Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Community Health Services (LCHS) NHS Trust - re-affirmed the hospital was not under threat.
However, the Trust confirmed there are only 16 beds currently available on the Manby and Carlton Wards.
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The hospital is used by many people from the Market Rasen Mail area.
In a joint statement with NHS Property Services Ltd, LCHS said they want to ‘reassure local people that a commitment to returning to original bed numbers remains’.
It is understood that at capacity, there are more than 50 beds across two wards.
The joint statement said a ‘significant amount’ of work had already taken place and would continue into the New Year. No date was given for when the work will be completed.
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Concerns over the possible closure of the hospital have been circulating for many months after the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) was released.
It briefly mentions the ‘re-provision of community facilities at Louth and Skegness with a single site’.
The ‘Fighting 4 Louth Hospital’ campaign group, which was established in March this year, remains sceptical.
Campaign founder Julie Speed said: “Whereas we welcome the assurances with regard to the future of the hospital, it is to be noted that they fall far short of stating what that future will be.”