HOSPITALS OUTRAGE

WEST Sussex is outraged by plans to downgrade two out of three hospitals in the county under plans announced by West Sussex Primary Care Trust. These include the axing of two accident and emergency departments along with maternity units.

WEST Sussex is outraged by plans to downgrade two out of three hospitals in the county under plans announced by West Sussex Primary Care Trust. These include the axing of two accident and emergency departments along with maternity units.

Three options have been put forward by the trust:

The first option under West Sussex's Fit for the Future consultation would see Worthing and Southlands become the main hospital and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester losing its Accident and Emergency department, maternity and complex surgery. The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath would lose acute services and obstetrics and be turned into community hospital dealing with minor injuries.

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Under the second option Chichester would become the main hospital, Worthing would lose its A&E services, maternity and complex surgery and Haywards Heath would lose its A&E, emergency surgery and obstetrics departments.

If the third option was implemented Chichester would become the main hospital, Worthing would lose its A&E, maternity and complex surgery departments and Haywards Heath would be turned into a community hospital and be stripped of its acute services and obstetrics department.

A stand alone midwife-led birthing unit is planned for West Sussex regardless of which option is given the go-ahead.

The 16 week consultation process which started this week will cost 1million and the West Sussex community has bitterly branded the plans as ' a fait accompli' and is appalled by the options put forward.

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Fury has intensified because the options leave West Sussex, which has 760,000 residents and a rapidly growing population, with only one major hospital, while East Sussex, with a population of only 250,000 is retaining both Eastbourne and Conquest Hospitals in addition to the Royal Sussex County hospital.

See West Sussex Gazette June 27 for full story and three pagews of reports and pictures