Updates from Group Board – Tuesday 3 November 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 at the last Group Board meeting on Tuesday 3 November which 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.
Patient story and ward accreditation: The Board heard an inspirational patient story from Greetwell Ward at Lincoln County Hospital about the ‘Redbaggers’, an innovation introduced by the ward to help patients with complex airway care requirements get some time away from the ward. Staff used patient feedback to introduce a safe new way for patients to leave the ward, with the necessary equipment and support, to improve their confidence and independence. The story really demonstrates how small changes, inspired directly by patient feedback, can directly impact patient quality of life. The full story can be viewed on YouTube
Becoming one organisation: Following the announcement of our intention to merge our two organisations and create a new, single NHS Trust, we launched a staff and public engagement exercise in early September, to hear views on the planned merger, and more broadly, on how health and care services could be delivered differently in the future. The engagement exercise runs until Monday 30 November and details can be found on our website. The Full Business Case for the proposed merger has been completed and submitted to NHS England for review, with the aim of achieving this change on 1 April 2027.
Good news:
- ULTH Electronic Patient Record (EPR): The first phase of the ULTH EPR successfully went live across all inpatient and emergency departments on Tuesday 13 October. The implementation has progressed smoothly, with colleagues adapting quickly to new ways of working. This represents a significant milestone in the Group’s digital transformation journey and is a major step forward in modernising how care is delivered across our acute services, supporting the ambitions set out in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan
- National award success: The team behind Lincolnshire’s Rapid Access Angina Clinics has received national recognition, winning the Nurse-Led Patient Safety Initiative of the Year at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026. Developed through collaboration between LCHG and NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), the innovative service enables patients with suspected angina to be assessed, undergo a CT scan and receive results on the same day. The award is a testament to the dedication, innovation and partnership working of colleagues who have delivered a safer, more responsive service.
- Group Staff Awards 2026: The Group Staff Awards took place on Friday 16 October, bringing together colleagues to celebrate the outstanding achievements, dedication and commitment of our workforce. The breadth and quality of nominations highlighted the significant contribution that staff, volunteers and teams make every day, often in challenging circumstances, to improve patient experience, outcomes and the delivery of safe, high-quality care, making a positive difference to the residents of Lincolnshire.
- National campaign launch: We were pleased to welcome Baroness Merron, Minister for Women’s Health and Maternity, for a visit to the Lincoln Breast Care Unit in October. The visit coincided with the launch of a new partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care and Breast Cancer Now. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase the excellent care delivered by our breast care services.
Staff updates:
- Launch of Work Well Plan – We have now formally launched our Work Well Plan, which is our commitment to making LCHG a place where every colleague can thrive throughout their development and career. The plan provides the strategic framework for developing, empowering and retaining great people and ensuring we can build strong teams, improve staff experience and continue to deliver safe, high-quality care.
- Flu vaccination programme: We launched our annual staff flu vaccination programme in early October, encouraging colleagues to protect their health and wellbeing during the winter period, reducing the risk of illness-related absence and helping to maintain high-quality patient care. To date, over a third of staff across the Group have been vaccinated, which is a strong performance compared to where we were last year..
CQC inspection: Following Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections undertaken during August and September 2026, on Wednesday 16 September 2026, the CQC served a Section 29a Warning Notice on ULTH for failing to meet the regulations related to the safe management of medicines within the Emergency Department at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston. Since the inspection, we have taken immediate actions to address the concerns raised, with strengthened governance, assurance and monitoring arrangements established. Progress is being closely monitored through our quality and performance oversight processes to ensure that all required actions are completed, sustained and that patient safety remains key.
Information governance employee relations actions: Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England, recently wrote to NHS organisations regarding the unauthorised, inappropriate and unjustifiable access to confidential patient information by staff. He made clear that such access is unlawful and undermines public confidence in the NHS. The Board heard that the Group fully supports this zero-tolerance approach and is reinforcing colleagues’ responsibilities for information governance, confidentiality and appropriate access to patient records. This includes demonstration of the robust approach to investigate and act where necessary, detailing 27 recent employee relations cases relating to suspected inappropriate access to patient records linked to two information governance incidents.
Thirwall enquiry publication: The publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry report in September 2026 examined the events surrounding failures in neonatal services at the Countess of Chester Hospital and reinforces the importance of an open, transparent and safety focused culture. We welcomed the publication of the report and continue to review the recommendations, assessing local arrangements and implementing any required actions to strengthen patient safety, organisational learning and a culture where concerns are listened to and acted upon. The Board considered a report on action taken by the Group, including the review of safeguarding arrangements, staff training, bereavement care, and the importance of ensuring concerns are identified, escalated and acted upon promptly.
Estates operational delivery plan: The Board approved and endorsed the estates framework for 2026-2036, which outlines plans for developing both hospital and community premises across Lincolnshire. This plan describes how our buildings need to support the way we want to deliver care in the future, bringing care closer to home, improving patient flow and making better use of existing space. While each scheme will need full funding and approvals, it outlines our intention to make best use of the estate as part of how we modernise and transform services in line with the NHS 10-year plan.
Urgent and emergency care pressures: Services across Lincolnshire remained exceptionally busy throughout September and October. During September, urgent and emergency care services experienced a 13% increase in attendances, placing significant pressure across the system. Despite these sustained operational challenges, Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre teams have continued to provide a high standard of care, demonstrating remarkable professionalism, resilience and commitment to patients. Colleagues have worked tirelessly to maintain patient flow, prioritise those with the most urgent clinical needs, and support safe and effective care during periods of increased demand.
Finance and performance updates: We continue to operate in a challenging financial environment, while maintaining our focus on delivering safe, high-quality services. At month 6, the Group reported a £15.2 million year-to-date deficit, which was £7.7 million adverse to plan. We have submitted a recovery plan to the regulator, which outlines the path back to plan. This remains dependent on recovery in activity performance, achievement of the efficiency programme, and continued workforce controls. The NHS National Oversight Framework (NOF) Quarter 1 ratings were published in September 2026. For this quarter, ULTH remained in Segment 4, ranked 124th out of 134 peer trusts. LCHS has improved to Segment 2, ranked 26th out of 58 peer trusts.
Board changes: Following a robust external recruitment process, Professor Ciro Rinaldi has been appointed as substantive Group Chief Medical Officer. Having served as Interim Group Chief Medical Officer since April 2026, and previously as Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Ciro brings significant expertise in clinical leadership, patient safety, quality improvement, research and service transformation. In his substantive role, Ciro will provide professional leadership for the medical workforce across the Group, supporting the delivery of high-quality, safe and increasingly integrated services.
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