Tuesday 7 July 2026
Dear colleague,
Welcome to this update from the Group Board for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG). This Group is made up of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) and United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULTH). The Group Board operates as the joint board and decision-making body for both statutory organisations. This update is to inform colleagues and stakeholders about the discussions and decisions taken at Group and individual Trust level.
Our last Group Board meeting was on Tuesday 7 July and was open for the public to join virtually. The full Board meeting papers can be found on the Trust Board meetings page on the website.
Celebrating Group success, ward accreditation: The Board heard from staff of Safari Ward at Lincoln County Hospital about their bronze award received in the Diamond Quality Accreditation programme. Their application showed their dedication to the delivery of personalised care and staff involvement and demonstrated the child’s (patient’s) voice in creating family-centred care and an enhanced patient experience.
Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) programme service presentation: Staff from the Lincolnshire CDC programme gave a presentation to the Board on the development, progress and expansion of Lincolnshire’s successful CDCs. We have CDCs in Grantham, Skegness and Lincoln, with one being built in Boston. Our innovative CDCs have achieved shorter patient pathways and quicker diagnostics in our communities as well as providing an excellent patient experience. The Board was impressed with the depth of research and knowledge and the passion of the staff in delivering the pioneering CDC programme in Lincolnshire.
Patient Services Hub (PSH): Progress is continuing to be made on the implementation of Patient Services Hub, which was developed to centralise and modernise patient contact with Lincolnshire’s hospitals. The Board heard that a decision had been made to temporarily pause further implementation whilst teething problems are worked through with colleagues to ensure the service meets the needs of patients and staff. Executive members assured the Board they are listening to stakeholder and staff feedback and monitoring patient experience.
National publications:
- The national Donna Ockenden report and the independent maternity review by Baroness Amos on maternity and neonatal services have been published. Maternity service leads presented their approach to ensuring all findings of recent reviews are considered locally, describing implementation of national safety actions and oversight models, quality improvement projects underway and current demographic challenges faced within the service. They outlined the focus on listening to families and staff throughout.
- The Lord Mann Review on anti-semitism and other forms of racism across the NHS was also published. The Group Board is aligned with NHS England’s response, which demands that we strengthen local leadership accountability and embed an unyielding anti-racist culture.
Good news:
- Following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of acute medicine services at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston in January, the report was published in May and confirmed that services have maintained their ‘Good’ rating. The Group is committed to ensuring we foster an open, compassionate safety culture where every patient’s voice is valued and heard without exception.
- In May, formal confirmation was received from NHS England that the Lincolnshire system has exited the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Tier 2 oversight. This reflects our sustained and demonstrable improvement, recognising progress in reducing 12-hour waits on UEC pathways, alongside continued improvement against the four-hour ED standard.
- The implementation of the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) for United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust continues at pace, with the first ’go-live’ scheduled for October. In parallel, work is ongoing to digitise existing patient records, ultimately supporting safer, more responsive patient care.
- During June, the Group recognised and celebrated Volunteers Week, highlighting the invaluable contribution of our volunteers across services. Events took place to acknowledge their dedication, which continues to make a meaningful difference to patients, families and colleagues alike.
Staff updates:
- Resident doctors were scheduled to take part in industrial action during June; however, this was suspended after an offer from the Government to the BMA.
- At the end of April 2026, staff core learning/mandatory training compliance was at 86.88% for LCHS and 93.03% for ULTH, against a national compliance target of 90%.
Finance and performance updates:
- The NHS National Oversight Framework (NOF) Quarter 4 ratings were published in June. For this quarter ULTH remained in segment 4. LCHS was placed in segment 3 (from segment 2 last quarter).
- Financial position: The Group reported an £8.1 million deficit at month two, which is in line with the plan and anticipates an improvement over the remainer of the year.
- 2025/26 Annual Reports and Accounts have been submitted for both organisations, in line with the national timetable.
Cyber security:
- A cyber security update was presented to Board, detailing the current threat landscape, the need for robust disaster recovery and business continuity plans, and considerations for 24-7 threat monitoring.
Board changes:
- The Board formally welcomed Sarah Booth, Group Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, to her first Board meeting.
- The Board formally recorded their sincere thanks to Sarah Buik, Associate Non-Executive Director, who leaves at the end of July. The Board thanked Sarah for her dedication to the role, her commitment and her contribution during her term of office.
If you have any feedback on the discussions at Group Board, please email [email protected]
Kind regards
Rebecca Brown
Group Chair
Professor Karen Dunderdale
Group Chief Executive