Helpline for concerned hospital patients

Patients and their loved ones can now contact a dedicated team at Lincoln County Hospital if they are worried about deteriorating health conditions.

The Call For Concern service has been designed to give adult inpatients, their families, and carers 24-hour access to urgent advice from the Critical Care Outreach Team if their condition gets worse.

Nerea Odongo, Group Chief Nurse for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “This team, made up of specialist doctors and nurses, collaborates closely with other healthcare professionals to ensure that appropriate care plans are in place.”

The service is available 24/7 to support the ward teams by assessing and reviewing patients and offering advice on how to manage the patient’s condition.

The initiative comes in response to the introduction of ‘Martha’s Rule’, after 13-year-old Martha Mills died in 2021 from developing sepsis at a hospital in London. Martha had initially been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike, and despite her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition, her care plan was not changed.

In a bid to avoid similar tragedies the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, and NHS England have pledged to listen to the concerns of the patient and those who know them best and take appropriate action.

Dr Colin Farquharson, Chief Medical Officer for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “The Call For Concern service builds on the existing safeguards already in place in our hospitals to offer a clear and direct way for patients, families, carers and other advocates to further escalate their concerns and access a rapid review of their care.”  

The Call For Concern team should be contacted if there is a significant change in a patient’s condition, and after discussion with the ward team, concerns have not been met or it is still unclear what the plans are for the patient.

The team can be contacted at Lincoln County Hospital on 07393 009049 and will need the name of the patient, their ward and a brief description of the concerns. 

The service is currently available at Lincoln County Hospital and will be rolled out to Pilgrim Hospital Boston from February 2025.