Boston's Pilgrim Hospital: Junior doctors axed from children's ward

Junior doctors will be removed from Boston Pilgrim Hospital's paediatrics ward at the beginning of August

Junior doctors will be withdrawn from a children's ward unless senior staffing levels are increased, Health Education England (HEE) said.

HEE has previously raised concerns about the safety of patients and staff at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital due to a shortage of staff.

Junior doctors will be removed from August, it said.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) said it was working hard to address staffing at the unit.

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An HEE spokesperson said: "Patient safety and the safe supervision of junior doctors are both of paramount importance to HEE.

"And, while the current trainees in the paediatrics section in Boston will stay in post until August, to ensure the protection of patients and doctors in training HEE will not put more junior doctors into the unit until the trust can demonstrate the unit is adequately staffed with established senior clinicians."

Earlier this year, the children's ward came under review by ULHT after concerns over severe staffing shortages.

In February, the hospital was forced to cancel all non-urgent children's operations due to a lack of staff.

A number of options were proposed for the future of the service, including a temporary closure, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it was working hard to address staffing at the unit

However, Dr Neill Hepburn, Medical Director at ULHT, said: "We are working hard to recruit staff and no final decision has yet been made."

"We are doing everything we can to maintain children's services at Pilgrim, in addition to working up temporary proposals to put in place should the staffing situation remain precarious," he said.

"This includes continuing to work closely with HEE to seek further clarity on their intentions for doctors in training," he added.