Political opinion with Alison Griffiths MP: Residents deserve better on Zachary Merton Hospital

ExCo

I raised the future of Zachary Merton Hospital in the House of Commons last Tuesday. I did so because residents in Rustington are angry about what has happened, and how it has been handled.

Services at the Zachary Merton were closed on what was described as a temporary basis. That closure is now permanent. Many residents feel they were never properly consulted. They see decisions about a much-valued community hospital taken without clear data, a published timetable, or a transparent plan for the future.

I was promised there would be proper engagement about the future of the site. That has not happened. When decisions of this scale are taken without clear evidence and scrutiny, public confidence collapses.

Community hospitals provide step-down care, rehabilitation, and outpatient services close to home.

Their closures mean more pressure on larger hospitals, longer waits for discharge, and greater strain on families managing recovery at home. Those consequences must be addressed openly, not waved away.

The question residents keep asking me is simple: where are those beds and services now, and are they truly in place?

I have spoken to residents who worry about longer journeys, and carers who fear additional pressure on already stretched routines. In a community with a significant older population, proximity to care matters.

In the Chamber, I asked the Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, whether the closure amounts to a substantial variation in NHS services, and whether his Department would consider calling the decision in for review. I have now written formally to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requesting that he do so, and to pause any disposal of the site while due process is examined.

I also want to thank Cllr Shaun Gunner, Cllr Alison Cooper, and Rustington Parish Council for their determined work in scrutinising this issue and standing up for residents.

I will continue pressing Ministers, NHS leaders and local decision-makers until residents receive clear answers about the future of this site.

This is about fairness and accountability. Rustington, and our wider community, deserves better.

Contact me at [email protected] or write to Alison Griffiths MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.