Top doctor voices support for A & E

Fears have escalated across West Sussex that some A&E departments could be downgraded, and there have been huge protests.

But Sir Graeme Catto '“ who will advise the county's primary care trust on options '“ told a meeting of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee the indications seemed to be that existing departments should continue into the future, and should have some kind of medical unit linked to them.

"I think it's unlikely that there will be a diminution of services in any of these areas, and we are talking about bigger and better services in some of the areas," he said.

"I hope A&E departments, with medical units linked to them, will continue."

However, Sir Graeme, who is president of the General Medical Council and professor of medicine at Aberdeen University, stressed he did not want to give 'false assurances'.

"I don't make decisions, only recommendations," he asserted.

County councillor James Walsh said he had believed all along that to talk about downgrading was wrong, if the public could be reassured it would not lose what it had but would get better services.

A possible new direction for maternity services in West Sussex was also indicated at the meeting.

Sir Graeme said he saw advantages in having stand-alone, midwife-led birthing units, in addition to an obstetric consultant-led unit at a major general hospital.

A report considered at the meeting said a proposal had been received to develop four birthing units, catering for 300 to 500 births, at St Richard's, Worthing, the Princess Royal and Crawley, in addition to the consultant unit.

Sir Graeme has recommended further work by the PCT to look at this, and he told the committee there was scope for the development of midwife-led units, in addition to the consultant-led one.

"We will have to see where the units, if any, would be positioned," he said. "There are advantages in having these units in West Sussex."

Sir Graeme said health inequality was a real issue, and it had surprised him to realise the magnitude of it in an area perceived as relatively affluent.

"Health inequalities have been identified for many years, and there are few successful ways of dealing with it," he said.

"I can recognise that they exist and try to ensure that any recommendations from me do not inadvertently make them worse.

"But it would be unduly optimistic if I said that anything I can do is likely to help them."

Sir Graeme also responded to questions about proposals for a new major general hospital and local general hospitals.

"When you put on labels like MGH and LGH, you end up with winners and losers, and people will fight to avoid the label," he said.

"The label means nothing to the vast majority, only those with a vested interest. It is much more useful to look at how services are best provided, without a specific label."