Did you know that there were quarantine restrictions in Bolton-le-Sands in 1720?

Check out our Facebook page to learn about this issue and its affect on Bolton-le-Sands.

UHMBT's Director of Finance leaves to take up new role in North West

Keith Griffiths, Director of Finance at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), will be leaving the Trust later this year to take up a new role in the North West. 

From Bodeltone to Bolton-le-Sands

Follow the story of our village on the Lancaster City Museum website or, if you have Facebook, log on to Bolton-le-Sands Village and follow the articles written on the history of Bolton-le-Sands.

Temporary road and car park closures on Lancaster hospital site due to operating theatre building work

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is preparing to temporarily close an on-site road, a small public car park, a large staff car park and a smaller staff car park at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) due to building work on a new operating theatre.

On the weekend of Friday 21 August and Sunday 23 August, a large crane will be brought onto the RLI site which will necessitate the temporary closure of a site road leading off Ashton Road and down the road to Medical Unit 2. The Trust will also be temporarily closing a public car park outside Medical Unit 2, a large staff car park to the rear of Medical Unit 2 and a small staff car park at the rear of the Pharmacy.

Staff, the public and any other drivers will not be able to access the road leading from Ashton Road down to the car parks. Ashton Road itself will not be affected by the closure of the road.

As the road will be closing at 8pm on Friday 21 August, the Trust’s Capital Services Team and Car Parking staff will be on site to make sure that nobody attempts to drive down the road and park.

Members of the public and staff who want to park will be directed to the Ashton Road pay and display car park opposite Medical Unit 1 and can use the pedestrian access routes marked on the map of the site (please see our illustration of the pedestrian access routes).

The new operating theatre is being built to provide capacity while existing operating theatres at the RLI are being upgraded and it will result in an enhanced experience for patients and a greatly improved working environment for staff. It is being sited between the Cardiac Centre and the existing operating theatres.

When the crane is on site the North West Air Ambulance Service (NWAAS) and other services will be temporarily redirected to other hospital sites.

Beware Fraudulent Gas Bill Emails

Householders are being warned about a national scam. Fraudulent gas bill emails are being sent to members of the public informing them they owe money. The message threatens the recipient with a fine if they do not pay. It reads 'if we do not receive a payment or hear from you in the next 2 days and we have to contact you again, you will be charged £140 to cover our reasonable cost'.
This is a scam, do not respond. Do not feel panicked or pressurised into responding.
Contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133

Reduce Your Council Tax Email Scam

Rossendale residents have reported receiving an email claiming to be able to provide you with a refund for the last 2 years for a council tax reduction that it states you are entitled to due to being on a low income or on benefits. The email is headed up GOV.UK and shows how much money you can apply for. You are asked to click on a link which requires your bank details.
This is a scam. To find out if you are eligible for a council tax reduction go to www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction

Scam Visa Telephone Call

Please be aware of current telephone scams many of which are targeting elderly people in Lancashire. It involves phone calls or messages from a withheld number claiming to be from Visa or your bank about an unusual £600 transaction on your card, followed by fake calls from the police or your bank's fraud department. If a message is left, you will be asked to press 1 if you did not authorise a recent payment to a particular shop (such as Harrods) or to a foreign country. This will then be followed by a second call from 'police', 'Fraud Team' or similar where they try to obtain personal and banking details.
A Lancashire householder received a call claiming they were owed £3500 in bank charges. The caller explained he had got the information from a government website but was unclear who he was calling on behalf of. The caller knew the householders address details and said an officer would be visiting at lunchtime that day and would need to see the householders passport for photographic ID. The householder put the phone down and reported the incident to the Police.
Please ignore all such calls. If you receive an unsolicited call claiming to be from your bank and are unsure if it’s legitimate, always call your bank via its official contact channels instead of following any instructions. Also note that the scammer can leave your line open, so even if you think you have put the phone down there is a risk that when you dial again you may just end up speaking to the scammer- try using another phone or a mobile to make checks if possible.
Scams can be reported to Action Fraud, contact 0300 123 2014 or go to www.actionfraud.police.uk.
To reduce telesales calls join the Telephone Preference Service on 03450 700707. Many telephone service providers can also offer help to reduce the number of scam calls you receive.