Lincolnshire hospitals declare ‘critical incident’
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been forced to declare a critical incident due to staff shortages. The staff shortages have led to ‘compromised care’
A leaked document that was sent to staff at hospitals in Lincoln, Grantham, Boston and Louth, which was shared by The Sunday Times, The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it was ‘unable to maintain safe staffing levels’ causing ‘compromised care’.
The document states: “An internal critical incident was declared across the Trust late yesterday and continues into today, due to extreme and unprecedented workforce shortages meaning that we are unable to maintain safe staffing levels.
“This is resulting in compromised care across our hospitals, and an inability to maintain a number of key pathways, including those around stroke and cardiac care.”
As the number of cases of the Omicrom variant of COVID-19 continue to surge, hospitals in Lincolnshire and around the UK are struggling.
The Lincolnshire NHS Trust has already put in place measures to try and tackle the problem, which includes the redeployment of non-clinical workers. Even though NHS staff are already overworked, the NHS Trust are appealing for staff to volunteer for extra shifts.
Since the leaked document was shared, nurses have contacted Lincolnshire In2town to say how low moral is, and how overworked they are.
One nurse who did not wished to be named but works at Boston Pilgrim Hospital said she and her colleagues feel let down by the Government.
“I and most of my colleagues feel like Boris Johnson and the Conservative party are laughing at us. We are working hard to keep people alive while Boris Johnson and his MPs think it is funny to ignore the rules they have set down and have parties.”
Another nurse who contacted Lincolnshire In2town explained she has always loved her job and would enjoy going into work, but now each day is like walking into a nightmare.
The overall response from NHS staff who have contacted Lincolnshire In2town is disgust on how Boris Johnson is handling the pandemic and the little support they are receiving.
One Doctor who did not wished to be named has pleaded with all people living and working in Lincolnshire to get vaccinated and to get their Booster jabs.
