Over the last few weeks the Trust has been populating rotas and planning and testing care pathways for women and children who use Pilgrim hospital, to ensure that when the new model was ready it will be safe for patients and their families.
The Trust’s advice to all patients would be, ‘if you or your child is ill to call 111, visit your GP or attend A&E if necessary, where you will be assessed and the appropriate care plan decided upon’.
Pregnant women and carers with regular attending children should carry on accessing the hospital as usual, if anything needs to change this will be included in care plans.
As previously announced the new model will operate as follows:
- Outpatient clinics continuing at Pilgrim
- Pilgrim managing only low-risk neonatal births
- A 24 hour paediatric assessment and observation unit (PAU) established on the children’s ward at Pilgrim, offering restricted periods of observation
- Children’s day surgery remaining at Pilgrim
- Consultant-led maternity birthing unit remaining at Pilgrim
- 98% of current activity remaining at Pilgrim
As the Trust has now managed to secure the provision of two extra private ambulances a little sooner than previous thought, the interim model is now ready to be put in place.
This new operational model will be closely monitored over the next few weeks while continuing efforts are made to bolster recruitment.
The Trust apologises for any inconvenience but feels the changes are necessary to provide safe services for all of our families across Lincolnshire.