Cllr Henry Smith disclosed at a meeting of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee he had written on behalf of the county council to the secretary of state asking for proposals by the PCT to be called in for consideration at Whitehall level.

If the bitterly-controversial proposals go ahead, there are fears they will put the kiss of death on St Richard's Hospital.

Cllr Smith told the JHOSC: "This is an issue about under-funding of health services within West Sussex, and an issue of West Sussex versus unfair allocation of resources nationally."

The county council believed the decision should be one for the secretary of state.

"He should have to make the ultimate decision on the reconfiguration of services within West Sussex – and should be accountable for that," he declared.

A study had revealed West Sussex was under-funded nationally by some £42m annually.

And the county's ageing population reinforced the need for a fairer national allocation of health resources.

The committee agreed to press for a wide range of information from the PCT.

Member Cllr James Walsh said without this, the likelihood of the JHOSC referring the matter to the secretary of state must increase.

"This is crucial to our understanding of what the reconfiguration of services will mean to patients, both individually and in large swathes across West Sussex," he added.

"We must insist on detailed implementation plans, standards and staffing, and information about precisely what targets and outcomes are being sought for patients by these changes."

Information being sought by the committee covers issues including the decision-making process; an analysis of 'scoring' criteria for hospitals; plans to enhance the rural performance of ambulances; community transport; neo-natal changes for maternity services; and how accident and emergency staffing will change at each hospital site.

Chichester District Council leader Cllr Myles Cullen condemned the PCT proposals as 'disastrously destructive, and born out of flawed evidence'.


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