THE health consultation that sparked a campaign to save Worthing Hospital from being downgraded has been put on hold.
The West Sussex Primary Care Trust's Fit for the Future review decided in June, after a two-year consultation, that Worthing would be the county's major hospital.
But today (Tuesday, October 7) the PCT announced the decision had been put on hold while Worthing Hospital and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester explore plans to merge.
A joint statement from the two hospitals said their boards had met separately on Friday (October 3)and agreed in principle to a merger which would create a single NHS trust.
Work togetherThe hospitals said clinical staff had been looking at ways of working more closely together following the Fit for the Future review, which has been referred to the secretary of state.
The statement added that the proposed merger would focus on achieving benefits and sharing expertise at board and senior management level.
PCT chief executive John Wilderspin said: "We are pleased the Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust have agreed to merger talks.
"This is a new and very significant development and we need to consider what impact it has on the Fit for the Future decision.
Decisions on-hold"While we do this, we intend to put the Fit for the Future decision formally 'on-hold'.
"This includes all aspects of the proposals affecting consultant-led maternity services at Princess Royal Hospital (Haywards Heath], and consultant-led maternity services, inpatient paediatrics and emergency surgery at Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust."
Mr Wilderspin added: "Our goal has always been to ensure a robust future for providers of healthcare so that West Sussex health services are safe, sustainable and meet the best standards of modern medicine. A strong merged trust on the south coast would help to ensure this is achieved."
For the full story and reaction to the merger talks and the decision to put the review on hold, see this week's Worthing Herald (October 9).
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