11 September 2006

Progress Care Housing Association and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust have reached a milestone in their multi-million pound drive to improve accommodation for the Trust's staff.

Medical staff including doctors in training, consultants and medical students have now started to move into the first of 457 units of purpose built accommodation and 130 refurbished homes at four of the Trust's hospitals.

It marks the completion of phase one of the £22m project to replace and refurbish keyworker accommodation at Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham & District Hospital, County Hospital Louth and Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.

Once fully completed, there will be more than 300 new homes at Boston whilst at Lincoln there will be 111 new units with 109 existing refurbished properties. Grantham has already gained 46 new homes and four refurbishments and Louth now has 17 refurbished properties including four family homes.

259 of the units will meet the Government's strict three star standard for medical staff. The star system is set by the Central Government to ensure medical staff have access to safe, high quality accommodation.

The completion of phase one of the development signals a new era in the provision of high quality accommodation for the Trust's workers, and a step forward in the challenge to attract and retain outstanding staff. The provision of good quality accommodation is an essential element in the ability of the Trust to maintain high quality healthcare services.

The development across all four sites is expected to be completed within two years.

<back