Health

The family of a cerebral palsy spastic quadraplegic have launched a £12,000 appeal to buy her a powered wheelchair which would transform her life. It comes after Phoebe Matthews had the chance to try the chair which reclines, and helps her to sit and stand. Mum Amanda said Phoebe’s face lit up when she was able to stand in the ...

A Spalding slimmer who shed more than 4st has been named ‘Woman of the Year’ in her Slimming World group because of her inspiring weight loss. Sarah Davis has gone from 18st 1lb to 13st 9.5lbs in just nine months and now she’s been chosen to represent her group in the nationwide Slimming World Woman of the Year 2016 competition, ...

A £1million refurbishment of the x-ray department at King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital is benefitting patients and radiographers. Three digital x-ray rooms have been fitted with new imaging equipment which are providing high quality images to help speed up diagnosis. The hospital has also invested in a new £100,000 portable unit, which can be used in A&E or on the ...

A proposal to bring Holbeach’s two medical centres under one roof has been dropped. The “super-surgery” plan for a brownfield site in Church Street has been replaced with a proposal for homes. The original plan, which would have led to GPs from Holbeach Medical Centre in Park Road and Littlebury Medical Centre in Fishpond Lane amalgamating, was granted outline planning ...

NHS England has said there will be a formal public consultation about its plans to close the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre. It follows a meeting in London between the centre’s chief executive, Jonathan Adler, and Jonathan Fielden, director of specialised commissioning at NHS England. Last month, The Voice reported on the decision to close the centre based at Glenfield ...

Five staff members based at The Johnson Community Hospital in Pinchbeck are among dozens of long-serving NHS employees across Lincolnshire who have been praised for their dedication at a special awards ceremony. The 63 staff from Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) have chalked up an impressive 1,600 years’ service between them. Each person has achieved 20, 30 or 40 ...

Healthwatch Lincolnshire has produced a free directory to help people get the information they need with simplicity and ease. The Health and Social Care Signposting Directory is a complete listing of local GP practices, dentists, pharmacies, opticians, nursing and care homes, residential and domiciliary care providers. It also includes guidance and advice on: staying fit where to go for treatment ...

A pioneering community nursing project which was started in South Holland has scooped a national award. The project was initiated by community nursing team case managers to change the way they work to better support their patients and colleagues – and such has been the success of it that it is now being developed across the county. Called the ‘Supporting ...

A Spalding couple are joining the fight over a decision to end congenital heart disease surgery for children at our region’s specialist centre. Six-year-old Sofia Larsson owes her life to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester after a series of operations to correct heart defects. However, Glenfield is one of three units which NHS England has told to stop surgery for patients ...

Complex case manager Ruth Foster has been honoured with the title Queen’s Nurse. It is awarded by the community nursing charity The Queen’s Nursing Institute and indicates a commitment to high standards of patient care, learning and leadership. Ruth, of Moulton Seas End, works for Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and said: “I am thrilled to have it. I’ve worked ...

People living with dementia are being offered a free opportunity to keep active and socialise in South Holland. Three five-week Keep Healthy, Keep Active courses, consisting of two-hour sessions, will be run at different locations in the district in the next few months. Each session – open to carers and sufferers – will kick off with opportunities to reminisce, prompted ...

Children and their families in Lincolnshire are now being supported by a new integrated 0-19 service launched this month. This new model from Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) will see health visiting and school nursing staff working together in nine teams across the county to provide a seamless service. It is based on a nationally-led model already being ...

Three South Holland premises are deemed as requiring “major improvement” under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. Baltic in Spalding, Whaplode Service Station and Wimberley Hall Farm Shop and Café in Weston have all been given a rating of 1 – the second-worst possible in the government-led scheme. Seven other businesses have a rating of 2 (improvement necessary). However, the total of ...

Pregnant women could face a 50-mile journey to the nearest maternity ward under plans to downgrade Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital. A petition has been launched calling on health bosses to withdraw plans which could see services – including midwifery, paediatrics and vascular surgery – withdrawn from Boston and relocated to Lincoln County Hospital. The petition follows confirmation from health commissioners in ...

A new integrated sexual health service is being rolled out across Lincolnshire this month. This new Lincolnshire Integrated Sexual Health service (LISH) will provide a flexible, non-judgmental, confidential service to anyone who needs it for sexually transmitted infection/HIV advice, screening and treatment and/or contraceptive health needs. From April 1, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) became the main provider ...

Free blood pressure tests are being offered in Spalding next week. South Holland Rotary Club is holding its annual Know Your Blood Pressure Day event at the South Holland Centre on Saturday, April 16, from 10am to 3pm. Rotary member Peter Kite said: “This is obviously an important health check and problems that could be occuring can be picked up. ...

A hospital serving South Holland is asking visitors to be vigilant for the signs of Novovirus after a surge in patients arriving with symptoms. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust is asking people who have experienced diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms in the previous 72 hours to stay away. Dr Ian Hosein, associate medical director for infection prevention and control, said: ...

A free 12-week programme encouraging more children to take up exercise and learn more about diet, nutrition and healthy eating is starting in Spalding next month. Spalding Health and Wellbeing Community Interest Company received funding from the Bromhead Lincolnshire Healthcare Fund to set up Aktiv Kids. It will run at Tonic Health, Broadgate House, Westlode Street on Thursdays from 4.15pm ...

Signs encouraging people not to smoke in council play areas, and in front of schools and nurseries are going up in South Holland. It follows a campaign initiated by Spalding dad Mark Le Sage last summer. South Holland District Council agreed to introduce a voluntary no smoking code in areas where children could be affected by passive smoking. The council ...

A roadshow which aims to raise awareness and understanding of dementia will be hoping to sign up new “friends” when it comes to town. The Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Community Road-show is coming to Spalding this month to provide people with the opportunity to put questions to local dementia support workers. It will also be a chance for people to find ...