'˜No current plans' to close Louth Hospital confirmed

A leading NHS official has confirmed there are '˜no current plans' to close Louth County Hospital.
Louth County Hospital. EMN-171025-144941001Louth County Hospital. EMN-171025-144941001
Louth County Hospital. EMN-171025-144941001

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.

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.

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.”

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