Boston Pilgrim Hospital: Plans for new emergency department announced

Plans for a new multimillion-pound emergency department at a Lincolnshire hospital have been unveiled.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) said the £35m transformation at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital would see the existing department double in size.

The proposals also include more cubicles and a separate area dedicated to providing emergency care for the hospital's youngest patients.

Chief executive Andrew Morgan described it as "a major milestone".

It comes after the hospital received a national funding boost of £21.3m in 2019.

"[People] may remember the prime minister came a couple of years ago to announce some additional funding for the A&E department and we've been doing lots of planning since then," Mr Morgan said.

"It has taken us a while to finalise the plans, but this is because we understand how important it is that we get it right for our patients, their families and our staff."

"We have spoken to all of our colleagues, partner organisations, local groups and our patients as part of this process. This is not only about the care that we provide today, but also for future generations," he added.

Last November, ULHT declared a "critical incident" after a sharp rise in Covid-19 patients in Lincoln and Boston.

The trust said low staffing levels had compounded the issue.

A health watchdog also previously raised concerns about staffing levels in the department and the high number of locum workers.

However, commenting on the new "much-needed" facility, Mr Morgan added: "If we are going to have a bigger department, we will need the right number of staff to cope with the number of people."

The plans are due to be submitted to Boston Borough Council, before going back to the NHS for final approval.

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].