Eastbourne DGH campaigners fear ‘erosion of services will put patients at risk’

Hospital campaigners in Eastbourne said they are seeking answers over the proposed concentration of highly specialist cardiology services in East Sussex.

Members of the Save The DGH campaign group said they met with officers and clinicians from East Sussex NHS to voice their concerns over plans to ‘single-site’ some cardiology services at either Eastbourne DGH or the Conquest Hospital in Hastings.

A spokesperson from the group said, “The campaign group’s aim is to keep all key core services at the town’s hospital, as well as continuing the fight to return to the full obstetric and maternity services which were lost to Hastings.

“The campaign group believes that the DGH is the favoured site for the new, improved cardiology department, although the healthcare trust is in the middle of a consultation exercise around this proposal, and another for ophthalmology.

“The cardiology proposal is said to likely affect around three per cent of patients who will require inpatient ‘interventions’, which will be located on one site.

“It promises a number of advantages including faster access to diagnosis and treatments, higher levels of skilled care from specialists working in multidisciplinary teams and access to the latest technology.”

The group claimed an estimated 93 per cent of cardiology patients are said to be outpatients.

The spokesperson added, “The campaign group is worried about those needing specialised cardiology care, especially with fears over travel times between Eastbourne and Hastings.

“There is a treatment link between stroke care, interventional cardiology and diabetes, so the campaign group’s view is that these should be at the same site.

“With stroke services already single-sited at Eastbourne DGH, interventional cardiology – if single-sited - should also have its home there.”

The group claimed that heart and circulatory diseases account for a quarter of all deaths in the UK and that the British Heart Foundation estimates more than half of people in the country will suffer a heart or circulatory condition in their lifetime.

Campaigners said they told health officials about their concerns at a meeting with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust chief executive Joe Chadwick-Bell and senior consultant cardiologist Dr Nikhil Patel.

A spokesperson from the group said, “Though the group was told that no decision was ‘set in stone’, campaigners did hear that Eastbourne had already been treating some 450 patients a year with advanced technologies, which have already been single-sited at the DGH and this cardiology unit has the larger number of cardiology beds.

“The Save The DGH group is worried that the erosion of hospital services will put patients at risk and diminish services at both the DGH and the Conquest, at a time when populations are growing quickly in both areas.

“Group chair Liz Walke said it shouldn’t be forgotten that Eastbourne was amongst the towns and cities promised a ‘new hospital’ in major health initiatives promised by Boris Johnston and the Conservative government.”

The group chair said, “A hospital fit for this century has to be a hospital which offers excellence in all the major specialisms.

“That’s what Eastbourne deserves and that’s the start and finish points for our campaign.

“The public’s voice has to be heard, so make your views known.”

The group said the consultation ends on March 11 – and they are urging residents to take part.

The spokesperson said a copy of the consultation paper can be obtained by calling 0300 131 4691 or completed online at www.opinionresearch.co.uk/Cardiology.

A spokesperson for NHS East Sussex CCG and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said, “We are currently asking people for their views on plans to improve cardiology (heart) and ophthalmology (eye) services at hospitals in East Sussex.

“The proposals aim to improve the care available locally and cut waiting times.

“People can have their say via an online questionnaire, a printed version and at the next online public meeting taking place on Monday, February 21.

“The public consultation runs until March 11, 2022, when all feedback received will be independently reviewed.”

The spokesperson said for cardiology, clinicians want to create new cardiac response teams at the Conquest and DGH’s emergency departments (EDs) while concentrating the most highly specialised cardiac services at one of the sites.

Clinicians say that specialist heart teams based at each ED means emergency patients would start receiving specialist care quicker, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson added that for patients who need the most complex treatments, concentrating highly specialist care at one site would enable staff to develop greater expertise in new treatments, making them available to all East Sussex patients who need them.

For ophthalmology, clinicians want to concentrate the services currently provided at the DGH, Bexhill Hospital and Conquest into two sites in the Eastbourne and Bexhill hospitals, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson explained that this would enable patients to get quicker access to tests, treatment and more input from the most senior clinicians.

This would also enable one-stop clinics, reducing the number of appointments patients need to attend, the spokesperson said.