Green party calls for action on Seaford’s new Health Hub to help ‘extremely stretched’ medical services

Councillors also asked for an ‘urgent update’ on proposals for creating a new Health Hub on a council-owned brownfield site.

They called the town’s medical services ‘extremely stretched’ and said Seaford’s two existing GP surgeries are ‘struggling’, adding that the town’s 13 care homes have a high proportion of residents over 70 years old.

Councillor Ezra Cohen (Seaford East) said: “A big part of the problem is there isn’t actually space in the surgeries for more doctors and nurses to provide more appointments.”

He said: “In 2021, Lewes District Council offered the NHS its Richmond Road car park, right next to the existing Seaford Medical Practice. Together, they would provide enough space to build a new Health Hub so people don’t have to wait weeks to see their GP. I can't understand what is taking so long.”

NHS Sussex said it is currently working with local partners to try to expand Seaford’s primary care services.

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Green Party Councillors criticised the old GP surgeries, saying they do not have enough space, equipment or staff, meaning people could wait up to five weeks to see a doctor, or be sent to A&E at Eastbourne or Lewes.

Councillor Becky Francomb (Seaford East) said: “We know that NHS Sussex has to do its due diligence, but it’s been almost four years already. We’ve written to NHS Sussex CEO Adam Doyle expressing our residents’ frustration with the lack of action. We’ve asked for an urgent update on the proposals for a new Health Hub on Dane Road, and urged him to treat this with the urgency it deserves.”

Councillor Roy Clay said: “It’s great that other towns in the area like Newhaven and Polegate are getting improved health facilities. But it’s high time NHS Sussex supported people in Seaford to get the health services they deserve too.”

In response to the criticisms, a spokesperson for NHS Sussex said: "NHS Sussex is committed to finding a long-term solution to improve healthcare services in Seaford, and to provide the best possible services for the future. We are working with local partners to explore a number of options to expand primary care services in the town, and we’ve been working together to find a suitable site for some time. As part of this work, we are assessing the possibility of Richmond Road car park to provide additional space for surgeries, alongside other services.

“However, NHS Sussex has a duty to ensure any development plans are practical in terms of cost and functionality. It is very important we carry out the appropriate investigations to assess viability, and ensure we can provide the best possible services for the community.

“We expect to know more before the end of the year and will provide a detailed update on the progress of this work as soon as possible. As with many NHS services, GP practices are experiencing a high level of need, however, each Seaford GP practice is carrying out around 500 appointments per 1,000 patients, which is above the average for Sussex, the South East and the country, per month.”