In Lincolnshire, we need to improve how we prescribe medication.

Our doctors, hospitals, community, mental health and learning disability services, alongside social care and the voluntary and community sector are all working together to improve patient care and experience and make best use of the resources we have.

We know in Lincolnshire 50 per cent of patients do not take their medicines as prescribed, and between five and eight percent of all unplanned hospital admissions are due to medication issues. Lincolnshire is also a high prescriber and user of certain medications, when compared to the national average.

Having looked at this in more detail, we have identified three key areas that could vastly improve patient care and experience, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, and save money as a consequence.

These are:
• Mental health prescribing
• Use of opioids for long term pain
• Regular medication reviews for those on multiple medications (polypharmacy)

To ensure we focus on the areas that would make the most difference to you, we would like to understand your experiences of being prescribed medication, how involved in this decision you are and how often this is reviewed.

We want to particularly hear from you if you take medication for your mental health, severe long-term pain or multiple medications for a range of different health conditions.

Initially we invited feedback via a short online survey. This survey is now closed but you can still have your say. Please contact us to share your experiences and/or feedback, licb.involveus@nhs.net. Shortly in the future we will also be holding face to face conversations and group meetings to explore these topics in more detail. Find out more about our review of prescribing.

Lincolnshire County Council and the NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is currently developing a new service to support those who have lost someone close to them to suicide.

We shared a survey to ask people who have lost someone close to them to suicide, about the type of support they need to help us to develop a new service to support people at these difficult times. This survey is now closed but you can still have your say. Please contact us to share your experiences and/or feedback, licb.involveus@nhs.net.

Patients at a GP surgery in Spalding are being informed they will be automatically registered at an alternative GP surgery as early as October this year as part of plans to transform services in the area.

Spalding GP Surgery based at the Johnson Community Hospital in the town provide primary care medical services to over 3000 patients.

Since 2018, services at Spalding GP Surgery have been provided by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS).  The contract that is currently in place with LCHS ends on the 30 September 2022.

LCHS have decided not to extend their contract, however, they have agreed to continue providing services at Spalding GP Surgery until an alternative service is in place.

NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), previously known as NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group), have now outlined plans to undertake a managed list dispersal through an Expression of Interest process.

This means that when the Expression of Interest process has been completed, patients registered at Spalding GP Surgery will be automatically registered at an alternative GP surgery.

In a letter sent to patients, Sarah-Jane Mills, Director of Primary Care, Communities and Social Value at the ICB reassured patients that during this process, they should continue to access services at Spalding GP Surgery as normal and encourages patients to share their views about what is important to them when accessing local primary care medical services.

To have their say, patients could complete an online survey (or collect a paper copy from the surgery). Patients were also invited to attend one of a series of drop-in events where they can talk to a member of the NHS team about the process. Find out more.

This consultation is now closed but you can still have your say. Please contact us to share your experiences and/or feedback, licb.involveus@nhs.net.

We are improving and re-designing the Musculoskeletal (MSK) pathway for hip and knee services in Lincolnshire. We are committed to engaging with our public and staff to ensure that your voices are heard and ensure that you are aware and given the opportunity to shape future plans for the new MSK pathway for hip and knee services in Lincolnshire.

We have carried out a wide range of engagement with those patients and staff using and delivering the proposed new pathway to ensure that we listen to your feedback on any improvements and adaptations that could be made to improve the experience and the treatment and care that patients receive.

This survey is now closed but you can still have your say. Please contact us to share your experiences and/or feedback, licb.involveus@nhs.net.

The NHS in Lincolnshire is currently working on the delivery of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) across Lincolnshire. We are committed to engaging as widely as possible and in particular ensuring that members of the public are aware of future plans for the development of community diagnostic centres (CDC) in Lincolnshire and given the opportunity to help shape these.

We have previously engaged on what is important to the public in delivering diagnostic services and this feedback informed the development of our first CDC in Grantham which has recently opened and started treating patients. We are now asking for your views on our next phase of CDCs.

This survey is now closed but you can still have your say. Please contact us to share your experiences and/or feedback, licb.involveus@nhs.net.