New deal will see £700k investment in hospitals

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) has enlisted CH&Co, which also has services in other hospitals including Salford Royal and Stepping Hill, Stockport, to modernise the shops and cafes for staff and patients at Lincoln and Boston.

Paul Boocock, Director of Estates and Facilities for ULHT said: “We’re pleased to announce ULHT has appointed the CH&Co Group to run coffee shops and convenience stores in our hospitals.

“Together we’ll bring the high street to our hospitals and offer staff and visitors a welcoming and better experience, and offer a wider selection of products.

“As well as being better for our staff and visitors, it’ll be better for the environment and Lincolnshire business too. CH&Co’s products will use minimal packaging and they will source local products wherever possible.”

The company will be ‘revamping’ the main entrances in both hospitals from January 2018, and opening brand new cafes called ‘Ground’.

The trust says that new cafes will also open at the maternity wing and outpatients at Lincoln.

CH&Co will also open convenience stores, with coffee facilities, at all three of the trust’s hospitals, replacing WH Smith which are there at the moment.Andrew Scott, Sales Director at CH&Co Group said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with ULHT. Developing the cafes and retail stores around the hospitals presents a fantastic opportunity for CH&Co.”

The current WH Smith contract ends on December 31 this year.

The fully revamped stores and coffee shops with new facilitates are expected to be open by March

In the future, ULHT will also recoup a share of CH&Co’s profits, which it says will give a ‘much-needed’ boost to its income.