The Herald in April reported that in-patient care at Southlands could be under threat as part of a consultation on the role of the hospital.

Western Sussex Hospitals Trust is considering moving all in-patients to Worthing Hospital and turning Southlands into an out-patient-only centre.

The trust is set to hold a board meeting at Southlands on Thursday at 1.30pm.

Public consultation

It could be the last in Shoreham before a public consultation on the changes begins this autumn.

Heather Duffield is one of those fighting to make sure Southlands gets a fair deal.

She urged people to attend the board meeting.

"If we don't fight a little bit, we are going to be left only with clinics, which is a shame, because the orthopaedics ward is very good," she said.

"I was in Fit for the Future. I watched the transfer of services from Southlands to Worthing. I know we have got to move on, but we need the jobs locally."

Change plans

Proposals being considered include refurbishing the single-storey buildings which house out-patients at Southlands and the two-storey building which houses the day surgery unit and theatres, building new laminar flow theatres at Worthing Hospital and creating a medical, surgical and elderly care acute admissions area at Worthing.

Southlands would no longer have patients who needed to stay overnight.
A consultation on the proposals was delayed until the autumn after the general election.

Adur district councillor Rod Hotton organised a public meeting about the proposals earlier this year.

The presentation will begin at 6pm in the council chamber and the full council meeting will start at 7pm.

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