Out of Hours Service Enhanced at Skegness Hospital

Patients will soon be able to attend Out of Hours appointments on weekdays at Skegness Hospital.

From July 1, the Out of Hours service will be enhanced to offer appointments seven days a week from the Urgent Care Centre, meaning patients will no longer have to travel to Boston Pilgrim Hospital to be seen by out of hours practitioners.

The introduction of the service brings to life a proposal strongly supported by the public in the Shaping Health for Skegness consultation.

The Out of Hours service will run in addition to the Urgent Care Centre from 6.30pm-8am Monday to Friday, and continue to be available 24 hours at weekends and Bank Holidays, with patients accessing a booked appointment via the NHS 111 number.

The Out of Hours service across the county is run by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS).

Simon F Temple, Head of Clinical Services for the east of Lincolnshire for LCHS, said: “We are continuously reviewing our services to ensure we can deliver high quality care in the communities we serve. The expansion of the Out of Hours service into the Urgent Care Centre will complement the urgent care services already available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Skegness.

“By developing this service, we have been able to invest in the team at Skegness with further training and resource, and take an opportunity to develop some new and innovative staff roles.”

Martin Jago, General Manager for Lincolnshire East CCG, said: "Skegness and Coast Locality Group welcomes the new Out of Hours service, which will be delivered from the Urgent Care Centre at Skegness Hospital, providing an important local service for residents and delivering on the proposals put forward as part of the Shaping Health for Skegness consultation."