Royal West Sussex and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS trusts announced the news this week.

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The move granted the hospitals' services a stay of execution in sweeping changes proposed by health bosses.

In a joint statement Royal West Sussex chairman Susan Pyper and Worthing chairman Tom Robson said: "West Sussex is fortunate to have the benefit of these two excellent hospital trusts.

"The two trust boards have now agreed in principle that the best way to deliver sustainable healthcare services in West Sussex in the future is to consider a merger of the two existing hospital trusts.

"This reorganisation of the way the hospitals are managed would enable the best elements of each organisation to be embedded into one strong acute trust for West Sussex with patient safety and stakeholder involvement at its heart."

The decision to merge the two trusts, which manage St Richard's Hospital in Chichester and Worthing Hospital, was reached on Friday October 3.

Clinical staff have been looking at ways of working together following the outcome of a review by West Sussex Primary Care Trust.

The trusts will be consulting with staff and involving stakeholders on the proposed merger during October and November.

They will meet again in December to consider consultation feedback and decide the next steps.


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