Military called in to work in Lincolnshire hospitals A and E

The military have been drafted in to help at Lincolnshire hospitals
Thirty personnel will be working in a mixture of clinical and non-clinical positions Credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Military personnel have been drafted in to help staff with patient care at hospitals in Lincoln and Boston.

The team of 30 have been brought in by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) due to staffing shortages caused by Covid-19.

Two thirds have healthcare training and will be working in emergency departments and other clinical settings.

The trust has stood down major and critical incidents that were in place last week after a water supply issue was fixed in Grantham and staff numbers improved.

The critical incident was declared in early January after a leaked memo showed that low staffing numbers were leading to "compromised care" at the trust's sites.

Some armed forces members will be helping with patient care. Credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust

ULHT chief executive Andrew Morgan said: "The NHS has a well-established relationship with the military and they have provided amazing support throughout the pandemic in hospitals across the country, supporting ambulance trusts and also assisting with the vaccination programme.

"As a trust, we are extremely grateful to receive their support and look forward to working alongside them in providing the best care for our patients over the next few weeks."

Armed Force Minister James Heappey said: “This deployment is the latest example of how our dedicated Armed Forces have continuously stepped to support the UK’s response to this pandemic.

"Twenty medics and 10 general duty personnel will be working hand-in-hand with the fantastic staff of the NHS, just as thousands of other military personnel have done over the last two years, to help protect the nation from COVID-19."

Mr Morgan added: "It remains the case that the best support our staff can receive is from the local community, so I would urge people to help us help you by getting any doses of the COVID vaccine you are still eligible for, taking sensible precautions to limit the spread of the virus, and thinking about the most appropriate place to access advice and treatment for your needs.

"This may be via your local pharmacy, NHS 111 over the telephone or online, your GP, out of hours services, or at an urgent treatment centre."