A&E services at hospitals saved

Worthing Hospital will now retain its A&E department

A&E departments at three West Sussex hospitals have been saved from closure.

Services at Worthing Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath and St Richard's, Chichester, had been under threat of being downgraded.

But on Wednesday West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) board accepted a restructuring plan that enabled the departments to remain open.

Clinicians came up with the option after a public consultation received 328,000 responses.

Campaigners had staged protest marches against the original Fit for the Future proposals which would have seen two of three hospitals lose their A&E units and consultant-led maternity services.

'Public's voice'

Sir Graeme Catto, president of the General Medical Council, who had backed the third option, welcomed the news.

He said: "The case for change made by the PCT was very clear. Healthcare cannot stand still and changes have to be made.

"But the public's voice was also clear - the majority did not want to lose A&E services or see a reduction in health services at their local hospital.

"I think that the PCT has listened to clinicians and the public but at the same time has ensured the model for hospital care is one that will last."

Under the accepted plans some of the departments will not carry out emergency surgery, treat seriously ill children or victims of serious road accidents.

They will all retain their acute surgery unit, for conditions such as heart attacks, have intensive care beds and be open 24 hours a day.

Consultant-led maternity services are also expected to be centralised gradually.

The trust said the centralisation of emergency surgery and specialist emergency surgery at either St Richards Hospital or Worthing Hospital had clear benefits for patients.