PATIENTS are urged to ask their GPs to refer them to Holbeach Hospital for consultant appointments rather than be exposed to traffic jams and expensive pay parking
The community hospital across the A17 from Holbeach has a range of specialist clinics regularly held by Boston-based consultants which are seriously under-used.
Its manager Lorraine Wigston said: “I’m very concerned because although we’re at the heart of the Holbeach community many people don’t know we’re still open, and local patients who could be seen here more conveniently are being referred miles away to Boston or Peterborough.
“If we’re not careful we’ll lose the services of consultants who travel here to be more accessible to local people.
“The consultants themselves are most anxious to see people here , close to home, traffic free and with a large free car park.”
Last week orthopaedic surgeon Phil Heaton, who specialises in hip and knee joint problems, invited local GPs to a curry feast at Holbeach Hospital to make them aware that he holds a weekly outpatients’ clinic there which is running at only 50 per cent of capacity.
The meeting was attended by GPs from Holbeach, Long Sutton and Spalding and Mr Heaton is hoping that a similar meeting at the hospital on October 31 will attract GPs from further afield and especially villages between Spalding and Boston.
He said: “It was a very positive meeting and several GPs didn’t know Holbeach Hospital was on their Choose and Book system for referrals. I hope to make patients aware so they can urge their doctor to refer them here too.”
Consultants’ clinics held at Holbeach two, three or four days a month are ears nose and throat, urology, general surgery vascular and colo-rectal and orthopaedics.