Chief Executive's Column - January 2021

It has been more difficult than usual to pause and reflect on our past year this January, with our focus and resolve still firmly on the challenges of Covid-19.

NHS services, not just for Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust but across the entire county, still face significant challenges as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

This is especially so, personally and professionally for many, as we came into the New Year and swiftly into a third national lockdown last week.

Yet despite the demands we face, we have achieved a great deal over the last year.

I feel incredibly proud to be part of the NHS team in Lincolnshire responding to the pandemic. As a health and care system, partner organisations are working together closer than ever to ensure we are delivering the best outcomes for local people.

A great example of this has been the re-opening of The Butterfly Hospice in Boston last week, which has been made possible thanks to our nursing teams, Macmillan specialist nurses, The Butterfly Hospice Trust charity, NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group and the primary care network of GPs.

While we have continued to deliver palliative and end of life care to patients in the community during the hospice’s closure, its re-opening means more local choice for people and their families at a difficult time in their lives.

As we look ahead to the rest of January and beyond, I must ask you to consider the small, simple actions you can take to help local NHS services.

Please follow national guidance and restrictions currently in place in England, in particular remembering ‘Hands, Face, Space’ to protect yourself and your loved ones from the transmission of Covid-19.

This means regular hand washing for at least 20 seconds, covering your face (including your mouth and nose) while you are in public areas and keeping your distance from those who do not live in your household.

We’re also asking you to join our countywide Let’s Do This Together campaign, led by the Lincolnshire NHS.

This means supporting your local NHS by: eating healthily and moving more; visiting a pharmacy before your GP; making and maintaining your health appointments; asking for telephone or video appointments wherever possible; and using the free NHS111 service before you visit an Accident and Emergency department.

It might not sound like much, but by collectively making responsible decisions, we can make a big impact on our vital local services, helping to deliver better services and outcomes for local people.