On July 1 2022, CCGs closed down and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) took over responsibility for NHS functions and budgets. We are now part of NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB.
You can continue to use this website to find information.
Category: News
Bank Holiday pharmacy opening times in North Lincolnshire
A number of pharmacies will be open on the upcoming Bank Holidays.
As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer clinical advice and over the counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses.
Remember to stay at home if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, no matter how mild.
Symptoms of coronavirus include:
a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
The Scunthorpe Vaccination Centre located at the Ironstone Centre marks its one-year anniversary on Saturday, March 19.
The vaccination programme managed by Safecare Network started at The Baths Hall in 2021, and a year on, it has administered more than 105,000 vaccinations.
The vaccination programme is set to continue in the coming weeks following the advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for people aged 75 and over to be offered an additional Covid-19 booster jab.
Dr Satpal Shekhawat, Medical Director at NHS North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “This is a brilliant achievement for Scunthorpe’s Vaccination Centre and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication from everyone involved in the vaccination programme.
“It is wonderful to see that the uptake in our region has progressed, and people are still coming forward to be vaccinated.
Dr Shekhawat added: “I would urge everyone to take up the offer of this free vaccination when you receive your invitation from the NHS. Whatever your background and wherever you live, this vaccine is a lifesaver, and there are many options for you regarding where to get your vaccine.”
Dr Mubark Jajja, Chair of Safecare Network, said: “The programme started at The Baths Hall last year, and we were not expecting to be here one year later. Initially, it was a programme for three months with a maximum of six months, but as we all have continued to live and learn more about Covid-19, it has continued.
“It is a great achievement that we have administered 105,000 vaccines and is a credit to the workforce. I want to thank the Safecare team, all the volunteers and nurse managers, vaccinators and North Lincolnshire Council and North Lincolnshire CCG for supporting the programme.
“The hard work and efforts behind the scenes and on the frontline have made it happen.”
The site is open five days a week and operates from 8am-8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The operating times for Tuesdays and Thursdays are 8am-6pm.
North Lincolnshire residents encouraged to download NHS App
North Lincolnshire residents are being encouraged by their local NHS and council to download the NHS App.
It is a simple and secure way of accessing a range of NHS services on their smartphone or tablet.
The NHS App was developed to help people in England get more information about their health and care – and more control of how they use NHS services.
Currently in North Lincolnshire, only 29% of people have downloaded the app.
The hope is that this will increase significantly, as the demand on health and care services remains extremely high.
Dr Faisel Baig, Chair of NHS North Lincolnshire CCG says the NHS App provides an easy route to access your health service.
“Locally we’re urging residents to download this vital app to gain quick access to health care information, at a time most convenient for you. Staff are still working incredibly hard to treat and care for our local people.
“In November 2021, in North Lincolnshire there were 104,603 general practice appointments. This is 12,611 more appointments than in November 2019. Around 75 per cent of these appointments were face to face, and 35 per cent of these were same day appointments.”
“The NHS App provides an alternative to calling your practice for guidance, as you may be able to get information at just the click of a button.”
Further figures for November reveal there were 3,642 primary care appointments across the region which were not attended – so were not available to other patients.
Through the NHS App it is quick and easy to book and cancel appointments.
“We need your help to support our NHS to be as efficient as it can be. If you cannot attend your GP appointment, please cancel it so it can be taken up by another patient.
“Downloading the NHS App is the easiest way to manage your appointments.”
You can also use the app to:
get your NHS COVID Pass
order repeat prescriptions
get health advice
view your health record
register your organ donation decision
find out how the NHS uses your data
view your NHS number.
Most patients will not need to visit their GP practice to set up a login for the app, but can prove their identity in the app and create their NHS login.
The app can be downloaded to a smart phone or tablet via Google Play or the Apple app store. You need to be 16 or over to use the NHS COVID Pass service and registered with an NHS GP practice in England.
The NHS App should not be confused with the NHS COVID-19 App which offers the fastest way to see if you’re at risk from coronavirus.
If you don’t have access to a computer or smartphone and have been fully vaccinated, you can call 119 for a copy of the NHS COVID Pass letter.
It can take up to 5 working days for your letter to reach you. If you have any further questions visit www.nhs.uk or call 119.
Support is being offered to women and families across the region to help with their mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy and after the birth of a child.
Humber Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership’s specialist perinatal mental health team, covering Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire, is re-launching the Every Mum Matters campaign which offers guidance and signposting for further help.
The campaign aims to support new and expectant mums and their families to be able to recognise symptoms of perinatal mental health problems early and encourage them to seek help quickly.
Perinatal mental health issues (those which occur during pregnancy or during the baby’s first year) affect one-in-five women, but with the right support and interventions many issues are treatable. Recognising the signs early and seeking support quickly improves recovery and outcomes for mums and their babies.
The campaign recognises that having a baby is a major life event for mums and partners and it is common to experience a range of emotions during and after pregnancy. Health professionals say that when feelings start to have an impact on day-to-day life, it is time to talk to someone.
The Every Mum Matters website aims to raise awareness of perinatal mental health problems, start conversations, reduce stigma and encourage women to come forward to get help.
Emma Tomlinson, Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Nurse said: “The campaign focuses on supporting and empowering expectant and new mums to recognise and seek support for their mental health within this perinatal period.
We aim to support women who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health in pregnancy and post-birth. It can be a scary time for mums and can evoke anxiety and impact on mood. If this is recognised early on, support can be put into place to help towards a successful recovery.”
Covid-19 has also had a significant impact on pregnant women and new mums, who have dealt with changes to maternity services, reduced face-to-face appointments and a decrease in family support due to restrictions and lockdowns.
Your health will always be our priority and our teams are working extremely hard to provide emergency care to those who need it.
However, our hospitals in Scunthorpe and Grimsby are experiencing very high levels of demand and we’re appealing for anyone who doesn’t need emergency care to consider other options. We also have high numbers of patients on our wards and increasing numbers of Covid-19 positive inpatients.
If you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do, please call the NHS 111 line for advice from their specialist clinical team.
You can also speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice or visit NHS 111 Online. A full list of pharmacy opening times over the Bank Holiday weekend can be found here: www.northlincolnshireccg.nhs.uk/bank-holiday-pharmacy-opening-times-in-north-lincolnshire-4/
Our NHS is here to help you but please use it wisely. Anyone coming to A&E who doesn’t need urgent emergency treatment is likely to have a long wait, as we will always prioritise seeing patients in the greatest need of our care.
Together, we face an extremely uncertain and challenging winter period. You will be aware we have a new coronavirus variant, Omicron, which is already proving to be highly transmissible. We are now seeing almost 200,000 Coronavirus cases reported each day. Hospital admissions across the country are also rising.
We know the last two years have been incredibly difficult but we would really encourage continued caution, not only if you are enjoying New Year celebrations but as we enter the heart of winter as well. Wherever possible, please do limit the number of people you mix with, wear facemasks, ensure good hand and cough/sneeze hygiene, and keep a healthy distance from each other. And get your booster jab as soon as you can – this really is the best protection against Omicron. All of this will help protect our NHS, so our NHS can give the best care possible.
Testing and isolating are also very important. We know PCR and LFT kits are in high demand right now. The NHS recommends you keep checking www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, as more tests could become available later in the day.
If there are no tests, you must self isolate if you have tested positive on a LFT at home. You must self isolate and wait for a PCR test if you are showing any of the following symptoms:
• A high temperature
• A new continuous cough
• A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
Finally, please be patient with our NHS staff, and be kind to them. They have worked so very hard, have seen a lot of severe illness and death, including their own loved ones in some cases. Many have not had a break for the best part of two years. We can assure you our NHS teams will continue to do everything we can to be there for you should you need us.
Please enjoy tonight and beyond, safely. Thank you for your understanding.
Bank Holiday pharmacy opening times in North Lincolnshire
As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer clinical advice and over the counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses.
Remember to stay at home if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, no matter how mild.
Symptoms of coronavirus include:
a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
Together, we face an extremely uncertain and challenging winter period.
You will be aware we have a new coronavirus variant, Omicron, which is already proving to be highly transmissible. Nationally, there were around 1,000 detected cases of this new variant one week ago. In a short space of time, this has soared rapidly, with Public Health officials estimating approximately 200,000 daily Omicron infections now, and it is thought that the virus is doubling every two days. While we will learn more about the potential severity of Omicron over the coming days and weeks, we know that it is already causing hospitalisations here in the UK. The UK’s chief medical officers have declared a Level 4 National Incident.
We need to be deeply concerned by Omicron but we also know a booster vaccine dramatically improves protection.
Our local NHS is working tirelessly to ensure every eligible adult over the age of 18 is offered a booster vaccination by 31 December, as outlined by the Prime Minister.
We have a number of vaccination options here in North Lincolnshire – including Scunthorpe Vaccination Centre, for pre-booked appointments. Our General Practice teams are now working even more hours to vaccinate more people and this will continue over the Christmas and New Year period. Please make sure you take up this vaccination offer to protect yourself and your loved ones.
I know the last two years have been incredibly difficult but I would really encourage continued caution. Restrictions will be subject to change depending upon the changing situation, but, wherever possible, please do limit the number of people you mix with, wear facemasks, ensure good hand, cough and sneeze hygiene, and keep a healthy distance from each other. And I must stress the importance of, not only regular lateral flow testing while not symptomatic, but the importance of isolating and immediately booking a PCR test if you do become symptomatic with a new cough, temperature or a change in smell or taste.
Winter is always our most pressured time in the NHS. As well as the usual winter viruses, a backlog of care due to coronavirus, and now Omicron, on top of Delta to contend with, there is a real risk that our NHS will struggle this winter. By minimising virus transmission, you lower the chance of our hospitals becoming overwhelmed – so our NHS is there to help, promptly, should you or your loved ones need it.
Thank you for being so supportive of our health messages over the last 12 months. I firmly believe it is down to your caring and collective approach that our North Lincolnshire seven-day infection case rate remains lower than many other areas in our region and our vaccine booster uptake percentage has been higher than the England average.
Despite an acceleration of the vaccination effort, I want to remind everyone that our NHS is still very much here for you over the festive period. Local pharmacies, 111 Online, NHS 111 and your General Practice teams are here to help. If it is an emergency, then don’t hesitate to call 999.
Please be patient with our NHS staff, and be kind to them. They have worked so very hard and have seen a lot of severe illness and death, including their own loved ones in some cases. Many have not had a break for the best part of two years.
I can assure you our NHS teams will continue to do everything we can to be there for you should you need us.
Have a safe Christmas and wishing you a happy and healthy 2022.
Dr Satpal Shekhawat, Medical Director at NHS North Lincolnshire CCG, says patients who must miss an appointment should cancel as soon as possible, so this can then be offered to another patient.
It comes after figures for September and October reveal there were 6,350 primary care appointments across the region which were not attended – so were not available to other patients. This is equivalent to more than 500 hours of missed appointments in a month.
“Demand for our health services is higher than it has ever been,” said Dr Shekhawat. “GP practices have been working throughout the pandemic and continue to work extremely hard. In North Lincolnshire alone, we held more than 100,000 appointments in October – with more than 70% of these being face to face with the patient. Despite this, demand is still high and we are therefore politely asking patients who book an appointment, and then for whatever reason cannot make it, to let their practice know as soon as possible so we can offer that slot to somebody else. Even if you decide not to attend on the morning of the appointment, please do contact your practice and let them know – they will still be able to open that appointment to someone who really needs it.
“The easiest way for people to do this is by downloading the NHS App if you have a smartphone. The app is extremely useful and not only is a patient easily able to cancel an appointment, they can order repeat prescriptions, get health advice and in some cases, book an appointment too.
“Your NHS is here for you so please do consider the health of others if you decide you no longer need to see your local GP or practice nurse.”
Figures also reveal more than 200,000 GP appointments took place in September and October with almost 145,000 of those being seen face to face. Almost 80,000 of the appointments were made on the same day the patient had contacted the practice.
“We continue to work tirelessly to give our patients the best possible care we can,” added Dr Shekhawat. “We are carrying out more appointments than we did pre-pandemic and, alongside that, continue to rollout the coronavirus and flu vaccination programmes at pace. So please be polite and respectful to our practice teams – we are all doing our very best to help you during extremely challenging times.”
The first case of the multiple-mutated strain of the Coronavirus was announced in South Africa on Friday November 24. And the first cases in the UK were reported on Sunday November 27 in two people with links to travel to southern Africa. As of Tuesday November 30, there have been 22 cases of the Omicron variant in England and Scotland.
Dr Faisel Baig, Chair of NHS North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, has issued advice to people in north Lincolnshire in response to the Omicron variant.
He said:
“I can imagine many people are worried about what the new Omicron Covid variant will bring over the coming weeks.
“There remains much research to be done but early indications suggest this variant is more transmissible than previous and current strains.
“And this comes at a time when infection rates are already high both nationally and here in north Lincolnshire.
“In addition, winter has arrived and this is the most challenging season for illnesses and viruses spreading through families and communities.
“We’re at a critical and potentially dangerous point in our fight against coronavirus.”
Dr Baig strongly asks the public to abide by the Government’s new guidance.
He said:
“Please, I would urge everyone to abide with the Government’s new guidance around wearing face masks in shops and on public transport.
“This new variant is spreading throughout the world and, again in line with the latest Government guidance, I would encourage those who have been abroad to undergo a PCR test as per the guidance.
“It is also imperative people self-isolate if they have been in contact with somebody who has a suspected case of Omicron – even if you are double vaccinated.
“If you’re a parent of children at secondary school, please do encourage them to wear their masks in communal areas when they are there.
“As a local GP, and someone who cares deeply about the health of north Lincolnshire patients, I would personally urge extra caution when in crowded areas as well.
“It isn’t mandatory, but please do consider keeping your distance from others if you can.
“Let fresh air in if you meet people indoors – good ventilation is vital.
“Meet outdoors if you can. I know it’s cold now, but wrapping up warm and going for a walk with friends is a safer option.”
Dr Baig feels it is also important to get the vaccine as a means to fighting the Omicron variant.
He said:
“The other two messages I would stress are to come forward for the vaccine, whether it be the first, second, third or booster dose, and the importance of regular testing.
“Lateral flow tests are important to take regularly when you have no symptoms and booking a PCR test is the correct thing to do as soon as you have symptoms (high temperature, continuous cough and lack of taste or smell).
“The booster programme will be opened up to all those aged 18 and above amid the Omicron development.
“Please, when you receive your invite to book your booster, don’t hesitate in doing so.
“The vaccines have already saved thousands of lives in this country.
“If you haven’t had a single dose yet, now is the time to come forward to give yourself that protection.
“Covid-19 remains a serious health risk and we should all remain very cautious – especially during the winter months when our NHS is already under severe pressure and at least until we know more about this new variant.”
Dr Baig warns that the pandemic is far from over in north Lincolnshire.
He said:
“I see many patients every week and I know this is frustrating for so many of you. We all want life to return to normal as soon as possible.
“But the pandemic is far from over – especially for this winter at least.
“We must do all we can to stop the spread of this new variant in north Lincolnshire.
“We’ve already lost hundreds of lives to this virus in our area alone and we don’t want to lose any more.
“Many more have had their lives hindered by Long Covid – an illness which can have huge long term implications on somebody’s life.
“So please do take the above measures seriously and hopefully these smaller measures are enough to prevent greater action being taken over the festive period.
“Together, we will beat coronavirus.”
Thousands of people set to benefit as NHS lung health checks confirmed for North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire
Past and current smokers in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire will be invited to a NHS lung health check service in a drive to improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer and save more lives.
NHS England and NHS Improvement has confirmed that North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire will be two of 43 places across the country to run NHS Targeted Lung Health Check programme.
Expected to start in Spring 2022, the initiative means approximately 45,000 past and current smokers, aged 55 to less than 75, in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire will be invited to a lung health check by their GP. This will identify an estimated 440 cases of lung cancer earlier than otherwise would have been.
Those invited will have an initial phone assessment with a specially trained health care professional. If the assessment finds the person to be at high risk, they will be offered a low dose CT scan of the lungs for further investigation.
The scanner will be housed in a mobile unit and taken to convenient locations, such as supermarket or sport venue car parks, across North and North East Lincolnshire. Stop smoking advice will also be offered to support current smokers wanting to quit.
Lung cancer can often be caught too late as there are rarely symptoms at the earlier stages. The programme is designed to check those most at risk of developing lung cancer in order to spot signs earlier, at the stage when it’s much more treatable, ultimately saving more lives.
In January 2020, Hull became one of 10 initial lung health check pilot sites and has since welcomed over 5,000 participants to the service, with more than 2,500 of those receiving a CT scan. The service has helped to identify cancer at an early stage and provided opportunities for earlier treatment, which is helping to save people’s lives.
Dr Satpal Shekhawat, Medical Director at NHS North Lincolnshire CCG, said:
“Unfortunately, due to there being few to no symptoms at an early stage, lung cancer is regularly diagnosed late and currently causes more deaths than any other cancer within North and North East Lincolnshire, but if caught early, it’s much more treatable and the survival rate is much higher.
“Being able to offer lung health checks to those at higher risk of lung cancer, will provide an opportunity for more and earlier interventions, including curative surgery. The service will also help to improve our populations health by offering free stop smoking advice and support to current smokers.”
Dr Stuart Baugh, Clinical Director at Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance, said:
“Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance is pleased to have secured funding for the further roll out of Targeted Lung Health Checks across our region.
“The extension of lung health checks will play a key part in helping to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing three out of four people with cancer at an early stage by 2028.
“We have already seen the positive impacts this service has for patients, since the first pilot site was launched in Hull in January 2020, and we look forward to working with our partners to extend the reach of this service from Spring 2022.”
For more information on the Targeted Lung Health Check programme please visit www.lunghealthcheck.org.uk.
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
3rd Party Cookies
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
