“One thing I don't understand is that in evidence submitted to the Health Scrutiny Committee, Path Links showed in its estimates of future costs, that it would carry on paying £109k per year for the lease of the lab buildings (including services such as portering, maintenance, internal phones) to ULHT up until at least 2012/13 (furthest the table goes). This seems strange when the lab will be vacated in 2009. Why is one NHS body giving another NHS body £109k per year for the foreseeable future, for nothing in return??? I think that there is more to this closure than has previously been admitted. This appears to be some sort of deal sweetner, but what do Path Links get in return for the at least a half a million pound gift to ULHT.”

“External inspections by national accreditation bodies state that the "building is fit for purpose". The granting of accreditation status by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Scheme) underlines the buildings fitness for purpose (CPA Accreditation still waiting for Ladies toilets problem at the Boston Lab). The Assistant Director of Facilities at ULHT states "the building with general maintenance has a lifespan of another 25 years +" shows the building is fine.
Why do both Path Links and ULHT insist that a £2.5 million pound new build is needed for microbiology to carry on at Lincoln. Because it suits their aim of closing the Lincoln lab down, thankfully the committee will now expose that this is a lie.”

“I see the A15 was shut for 9 hours today. What affect on an urgent sample travelling from Lincoln to Scunthorpe would that have. I know there are other routes, but of course they would be congested with diverted traffic as these are much smaller roads. Not good!”

“All of the media have picked up on this very quickly. Newspapers, radio and TV. It's as if they sense blood. But I suppose if the Council Committee move forward, there is basically only one possible outcome, to refer to the Minister and surely he will find it hard to turn down a referral based on the HSC been misled. It almost seems inevitable now. Mr Bowles arrogant, conceited rant from the letters page of the Echo yesterday now appears very ill timed. It reminds me of Neil Kinnock's premature victory rally at Sheffield before the 1992 General Election, and we all know what happened there.
The media may well get their feeding frenzy.”

“How will closure of the microbiology lab improve the quality of service to the people of Lincoln?”

“Well done Health Scrutiny Committee! Now you can be decisive and take an objective view of this issue. Just look at the facts.... The Lincoln microbiology lab is fit for purpose, the proposed transport arrangements are flawed, the costs saving is not proved. The probability of a less efficient service to patients is probable .... Why listen to PathLinks/ ULHT 'experts' - they have been proved to mislead you in the past - These managers will move on and we will be left with so-called efficiencies that just reduce the service.

You can stop this! The people of LIncoln for generations will be grateful that you took the sensible view and did not rob Lincoln of a valuable service.

Another NHS region in Yorkshire had the same idea and 2 years later they had to re-establish the lab from where it was originally - red faces all round and valuable NHS funding misspent!”

“ULHT should see sense and drop this ludicrous idea. The fact that the Scrutiny Committee are again revisiting this issue shows that there are real problems with this closure. What exactly are the benefits of closing the lab ? Saving money - no, improving the service - I don't think so, empire building - could be !!”

“If the Councillors are forced to question their own decision by new evidence, and the original vote was as close as it could possibly be. Then it is time to refer on to the Minister.
Or, the powers that be at ULHT could say STOP THIS NOW!”

“The only route available to the Council is to refer to the Secretary of State for Health. They do not have the power to stop the closure. If referred to the Minister, it will then go to an independent panel in order to remove politics and make the decision objective. The panel can make a decision based on available evidence, or go through a lengthy investigation, gathering evidence. Either way, the process would examine the possible closure and the reasons behind it. Hopefully this would force the true reasons/figures into the open rather than the shadowy dodgy dossiers we currently have been presented with by the people forcing the closure through.
Nobody, not even Path Links/ULHT can argue against an in depth review of the mess they have created.”

“New evidence? This suggests an ill informed decision then in the first place, especially as the final (?) decision was a close call. Why the need to refer this to the Health Secretary. The council can reverse its decision, lets face it they have done many a U turn in the past and if the unit at Lincoln is now deemed to have been suitable for its purpose all along then this is the path they should take surely.”