There is unlikely to be any further financial help for the local NHS over the key winter period.
A report to members of the county’s health scrutiny committee, which meets on November 19, reveals that short-term service funding was part of the overall financial allocation at the start of the financial year.
“This means that there is no additional funding available for winter this year.”
Priority interventions have already been identified and “additional surge beds in acute wards have been built into the winter plan,” the report says.
“The primary care programme will continue to provide focussed support to primary care services to optimise available capacity and reduce system pressure by providing care in the right place at the right time.”
Among priority areas highlighted in the report is supporting the 111 direct system of booking for GP appointments.
“Frailty care and support continues to be a focus for Lincolnshire,” it adds.
People are not asked to attend emergency departments unless they cannot be supported in the community, it continues.
There are also frailty-specific acute same-day emergency care units within the county, along with a 24-hour falls response.
“This year we have developed a delivery model to implement the Lincolnshire Older Peoples Strategy which includes optimising the interface between primary care and urgent and emergency care services,” the report says.
During the winter months there has been a historic issue of handover times between ambulances and the major hospitals.
“Crews will have access to a range of alternative settings where critically safe, to avoid a hospital attendance,” says the report.
There is a move away from having A&E departments as the first port of call.
“We aim to convey, refer or direct patients directly to the unit most appropriate for their care, rather than the emergency departments being the default point of access.”
The aim this winter is also to reduce long waits in emergency departments; plan discharges to ensure minimal delays and provide alternatives to admission.
Current data suggests transmission levels of viral respiratory pathogens during the summer were as expected, suggesting the levels are likely to be similar during the winter months.
The highest rate of both COVID-19 and RSV is expected during December and into January, corresponding to Christmas, New Year and the re-opening of schools.
“The winter plan has been developed collaboratively and influenced by national winter guidance issued by NHS England as well as applying learning from previous winters.”
