CHILDREN'S BEDS TO BE CUT AT DGH

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust has issued the following statement this afternoon:

'It is proposed to reduce the number of beds on the Trust's two children's wards to ten beds each at both the Friston ward at Eastbourne DGH and on Kipling ward at the Conquest Hospital with effect from week commencing December 18, 2006.

'This proposal is subject to the approval at the Trust's Clinical Management Board on Friday, December 8, but will maintain children's services on both sites.

'There are currently 15 beds on each ward with around 60 per cent of the beds occupied.

'This reduction will match bed numbers to current demand.

Dr Lorna Bray Clinical Director for Children's Services said: 'Fewer children are now being admitted to hospital and those who are admitted stay in hospital for less time than they did in the past.

'More and more health care for children is delivered away from hospital in the community or as a day time visitor to the hospital.

'This means we do not need as many hospital beds and children can spend more time at home in their familiar surroundings rather than be in hospital.

'Parents also like this approach to caring for their children since it causes less disruption to family life.'

A consultation with the health care assistants on the children's wards who will be affected by this change started today.

Some of these staff will be temporarily redeployed and none of these staff will lose their jobs.

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