Fight to oppose plans to move specialist heart services from Hastings to Eastbourne sees thousands sign petition

More than 5,700 people had signed the petition set up by Barry Upton.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT) confirmed it is planning to centralise ‘highly specialist interventional cardiology’ at Eastbourne DGH.

Mr Upton said: “Hastings, along with the surrounding villages in the Weald, deserves a hospital that provides comprehensive cardiac care. It's deeply concerning to us, who live in this community, that cardiac wards are being considered for transfer to Eastbourne, leaving us without immediate access to essential heart services.

“Cardiac care saves lives every day. Rapid response to heart issues can mean the difference between life and death, and having local access to cardiac wards at Conquest Hospital is crucial. For those suffering from heart conditions, every minute counts. Moving these services farther away compromises patient outcomes and places undue stress on those in dire need.

“The potential removal of its cardiac wards strikes at the heart of what residents have relied upon for years. A centralised location for cardiac care in our town ensures that all in Hastings and its nearby areas receive timely and effective treatment without the added burden of travel.”

ESHT said the ward affected is James Ward and the Coronary Care Unit (CCU), a 16-bed unit.

It added it is aiming to implement the plans later this year.

Former Bexhill councillor Paul Courtel said it would be a ‘tragedy’ if the ward closed, adding the cardiology department at the Conquest saved his life in 2021.

He spent more than three weeks in hospital recovering.

He said: “We must oppose the closure of this excellent unit.”

A spokesperson for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said: "Our plans to improve cardiology across East Sussex - approved by East Sussex County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and NHS Sussex in 2022 after a full public consultation and a three-year process - will mean more than nine out of 10 patients living in Hastings who need cardiac care will still receive most or all of that care at Conquest Hospital.

“Patients being cared for in Conquest will still be able to access heart failure services, cardiac-monitored beds, non-invasive diagnostics (including echocardiograms), cardiac rehabilitation and outpatient care at that hospital as they always have.

“The centralising of highly specialist interventional cardiology at Eastbourne DGH is likely to impact only around three per cent of patients who receive cardiac care. With this complex inpatient work moving from the Conquest, these beds will no longer be required by the cardiology team.

“The 2022 consultation provided for the strengthening of emergency department cardiac care at both Conquest and Eastbourne DGH with the creation of Cardiac Response Teams.

“These teams provide immediate specialist cardiac assessment and treatment to patients ensuring faster diagnosis and a shorter length of stay in hospital. The team at Conquest hospital is already seeing patients.

“We remain of the view that these changes, approved in 2022, will mean we will have a stronger, consistent, high quality service which is established in line with national good practice. These plans have included careful analysis of patient travel times to ensure that everyone in East Sussex can access the care they need in a timely way, as set out in national guidance.”

The petition can be found at: www.change.org/p/keep-cardiac-wards-at-hastings-conquest-hospital.