Chief Executive's column - June 2021

There is a different kind of anticipation for the summer months this year, one that I am sure many of you will feel too.

A mix of excitement to see family and friends who have kept their distance, pleasure to visit places which might previously have been temporarily closed, but also an apprehension as some of those aspects of normality return to us.

The relaxation of national COVID-19 restrictions have not made a notable difference to the way our dedicated teams and individuals within Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust are working.

We continue to work with restrictions to support the safety of our staff, patients and visitors.

This includes additional cleaning, hand washing, PPE and social distancing, alongside more practical measures for service delivery.

An appointment system remains in place for visitors to our inpatient wards within our community hospitals in Spalding, Gainsborough, Skegness and Louth, and we have continued to strengthen our use of digital technology to see people virtually across Lincolnshire in a number of our services.

Those who are able to work from home continue to be supported to do so.

We also continue to work closer than ever with health and care partners to ensure the care people receive is excellent, that we can meet the challenges we face and are prepared for whatever may come next.

As national restrictions are planned to unlock further in the coming weeks, I urge you to consider your own personal actions for your own safety and of those around you.

Keep yourself up-to-date with national COVID guidance, including following the hopefully now routine ‘hands, face, space’ actions.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, including a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss or change to your taste or smell, access a PCR test and stay at home until you have your result.

If you require medical help at any time, please ‘talk before you walk’ and use NHS111, the NHS app or visit 111.nhs.uk before making the journey to a service in person.

Not only will this help you access the right service for your needs, you could also save yourself an unnecessary trip through the extensive local clinical knowledge and expertise available at the end of the phone or through a video consultation.

If you are able to self-care for your ailment at home, or with the assistance of your local pharmacy, please do so.

In an emergency, you should always call 999.