Chichester: NHS bosses confirm hospital cuts

Health bosses have confirmed they will go ahead with the downgrading of St Richard's Hospital in Chichester - reports the BBC.

West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) announced last week that Worthing would be the county's major general hospital, having full paediatrics, A&E and consultant-led maternity care

Emergency A&E and maternity services at St Richard's will be cut, forcing long travel times on those who require these services from the area served by the hospital.

The PCT has said St Richard's will retain 90% of its A&E services, with only patients with major problems, those needing emergency surgery and victims of serious accidents going elsewhere.

It said 50% would go to Portsmouth and 50% to Worthing, with the majority being taken directly by ambulance to the appropriate hospital.

However, journey times to those hospitals from the area covered by St Richard's are significant and highly vulnerable to traffic problems at rush hour.

One St Richard's campaigner told BBC South Today: "I often have to go in as an emergency.
"If I have to go to Worthing or Portsmouth it could be fatal."

The PCT said journey times had been taken into consideration when making the decision and it was aware that people in Selsey suffering serious accidents and requiring emergency surgery would have travel times greater than one hour at peak times.

But it said that, on balance, a much greater number of people would be adversely affected if the major general hospital was in Chichester.

Why the PCT has been forced into making this choice and there are insufficient public funds to keep adequate services at BOTH hospitals is the key question in this affair - and very likely due to central government wasting vast sums on other areas of spending.

For example, by sending £115 million every single week to the European Union, whose budget has failed its annual audit for 13 years in a row, and which has a terrible reputation for waste and fraud.

This is totally wasted money and far more than would be required to maintain services at St Richards. The government needs to decide which is more important - health services, or the European Union.

Campaigners for St Richard's are now considering whether to seek a judicial review of the decision.

Hospital report reveals debt fear

A confidential report which sparked a review of hospital services and led to nearly a year of protests across Surrey and Sussex has been revealed - reports the BBC.

The report to NHS managers in 2005, seen by BBC South, said health services in Surrey and Sussex were "financially unsustainable".

They were heading for debts of between £350m and £700m by 2009, it said.

South East Coast Strategic Health Authority said it had since taken action (cuts) which they expect to produce a surplus.

The report, by management consultants McKinsey, was obtained by a member of the public under the Freedom of Information Act.

It made a number of suggestions for reducing the health authority's potential debts, including cutting the number of qualified nurses by 6%.

It also suggested changes to acute Accident and Emergency departments, including allowing only patients arriving in 999 ambulances to enter.

Others would have to go to emergency care centres.

Fit for the Future has led to fears about potential cuts to A&E and maternity services at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, Worthing and Southlands Hospitals, the Princess Royal at Haywards Heath and the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

The only firm proposals so far put forward are in East Sussex, where either Eastbourne District General Hospital or the Conquest, in Hastings, could lose its maternity unit.

A public consultation is under way on which town will have the county's main consultant-led centre.

Chichester: Thousands rally to support St Richard's

Thousands of people took part in the biggest public protest ever seen in Chichester on Saturday morning, reports the Chichester Observer.

They were demonstrating against any major cutbacks in services at local St Richard's Hospital.

The crowd filled the Chichester Cathedral green from end to end, with people carrying placards, banners, balloons and posters, with slogans that made their feelings plain - 'stop this madness,' 'lives are at risk,' and 'please save our hospital.'

Chichester MP Andrew Tyrie, who organised the demonstration, joined three fellow MPs in addressing the rally, in the shadow of the cathedral. A senior clinician from St Richard's and a local GP spelled out the implications if major trauma accident and emergency and other services are lost.

Chichester: Rally to save St Richard's

One of the biggest demonstrations ever seen in Chichester city centre is being planned for Saturday, July 22, in support of St Richard's Hospital - according to the Chichester Observer.

Many hundreds of people are expected to gather at the City Cross, as a huge campaign against the possible closure of accident and emergency services – or even the whole hospital – continues to escalate.

After arriving at the Cross, the protestors will be invited to walk to the cathedral green, where cathedral authorities have given permission for a mass meeting to take place.This will be from 10am to 11.30am.

Meanwhile, the number of signatures on a petition backing St Richard's has soared above 40,000, and names are still pouring in.