CONSULTANTS fighting for Worthing to become a major general hospital have sent an open letter to West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Their letter, co-signed by Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospital (KWASH) campaign chairman Tom Wye and the town's MPs Peter Bottomley and Tim Loughton, spells out the affect of downgrading Worthing Hospital as part of a county-wide shake up of hospital services.
Click here to read a word document with the letter in full.The PCT makes its decision at a meeting in Copthorne on Wednesday, June 4.
Consultant anaesthetist, Colin Spring says: "We sincerely hope that the right decision is made based on all the evidence available.
"Removing acute services from Worthing Hospital will be extremely detrimental and unsafe to the large and, in many cases, vulnerable catchments population that we serve."
The letter highlights the following factors supporting the case for Worthing Hospital to be the major general hospital:
It is the largest and busiest hospital in West SussexIt has the biggest and most vulnerable population (elderly and deprived) in the county.Downgrading Worthing and Southlands Hospitals would have the following affect on patients:
1. Currently 60 per cent of the coastal West Sussex residents who receive emergency surgical treatment at Worthing Hospital would have to travel long distances to receive the emergency treatment they need (15 patients a day).
2. The loss of surgical emergency services at Worthing Hospital would lead to the A&E unit becoming a "minor injuries unit" and many of the most vulnerable patients would have to travel further for treatment
3. Worthing Hospital delivers twice the number of low birth weight babies from deprived wards in West Sussex.
Downgrading would mean these mothers having to travel long distances for the hospital maternity care they need
4. Worthing Hospital has the busiest maternity unit in West Sussex and deliveries are growing by three per cent each year
5. Of the children from the coastal strip of West Sussex needing in-patient care 60 per cent (more than 2,000 per year)currently come to Worthing Hospital.
More on the PCT's meeting in the Thursday, May 22, edition of the Worthing Herald.
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