HOSPITAL OPTION ALREADY HAS TO TURN PATIENTS AWAY

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, was on divert for nine days running last week simply because it could not cope with the pressure of patients arriving by ambulance, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, Tim Loughton told the Parliamentary debate on hospital services last week.

He said:"Regularly there are amulance queues outside that hospital, which is the major beneficiary of the proposed downgrading of West Sussex hospitals and it is a nightmare travelling to it. Despite the excellent efforts and hard work of the Brighton Hospital managers and staff, it is struggling under the pressure of work. Can it make any sense to apply further pressure?" he asked.

He told the debate that last year some 63,000 people went to the accident and emergency department in Worthing of which a large number were admitted to hospital.

"They did not need just a plaster, they needed serious attention. How can Brighton and Hove cope with these extra 63,000 people? It is also interesting that Worthing hospital wikll this year deliver some 3,000 births and most of the increase is from mothers from Brighton and Hove having their babies delivered there.

"Worthing and Southlands Hospital, the Princess Royal and St Richards are good, cost effective and well-liked hospitals. If it ain't bust, don't fix it, particularly given that we haven't clue what will be put in its place. And neither do we know the deplacement costs of the extra community activity that has been promised. It is death by a thousand cuts!

It is dishonest and unfair, particularly on the 3,200 staff at Worthing and Southlands Hospital, and on those at other hospitals, over whose jobs there has been incertainty in recent years," he continued.

The debate had been initiated by Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel and South Downs, who lambasted the Government and the West Sussex Primary Care Trust on their plans to downgrade two of West Sussex's three acute hospitals.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette July 11