Protest held outside meeting to discuss future healthcare provision across Lincolnshire

The meeting at the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa today (Wednesday) has drawn protest from the The Boston Focus Group’s SOS Pilgrim campaign.

The group has launched a petition aiming to stop health bosses from downgrading services at Pilgrim Hospital has passed the halfway milestone to receiving Government attention.

The petition was launched to combat potential changes to services at Pilgrim Hospital, including maternity and Accident and Emergency.

It is feared United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, which runs the site, could be forced to have just one maternity unit in the county as part of cost saving measures - this is one of the options being considered.

The petition called Stop United Lincs Hospitals Trust from Downgrading Boston Pilgrim hospital, has collected more than 6,600 signatures in only two weeks.

The focus group’s SOS Pilgrim campaign follows more than three years of reviews into the county’s healthcare.

The Lincolnshire Health and Care (LHAC) review began in 2013 but its final outcomes have been delayed, most recently due to NHS England’s Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP).

LHAC organised today’s meeting of 150 stakeholders including local clinicians, county councillors, MPs, clinical commissioning groups and trust members.

The private meeting, which press and public cannot attend, will see those present hear the arguments for and against proposed options and later score them to find out the preferred options.