Hospital downgrade plans on hold

Health chiefs had previously decided to downgrade St Richard's Hospital

Controversial plans to downgrade a West Sussex hospital have been put on hold while a merger between two health trusts is discussed.

Thousands of people had joined protests against the plans to cut services at St Richard's in Chichester and make Worthing the county's major hospital.

West Sussex PCT has postponed its Fit For The Future plan to reorganise NHS services in the county until January.

The PCT said the merger plans were a "very significant development".

The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust, which run St Richard's Hospital and Worthing Hospital, could become one large health trust.

If it is put on hold and never reawakened then that is positive Abigail Rowe Support St Richard's Campaign

Campaigners against the Fit For The Future plan, who have previously threatened to demand a judicial review, were sceptical about the announcement.

Abigail Rowe, from Support St Richard's Campaign, said: "If it is put on hold and never reawakened then that is positive.

"But the fact is, it's put on hold and it will always be a threat there. It will be like holding the future of St Richards on a piece of string, and that is not acceptable."

The PCT announced in May that Worthing would be the county's major general hospital and full A&E services, paediatrics and consultant-led maternity care would be removed from St Richard's.

Independent review

However, West Sussex County Council's health scrutiny committee had said it was not convinced patients would benefit from the cuts to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester.

An independent review was being carried out into the decision.

John Wilderspin, chief executive of West Sussex Primary Care Trust, said the trust would put the Fit for the Future decision formally "on-hold" until public board meeting in January while it considered the discussions between the two trusts.

He said: "This includes all aspects of the proposals affecting consultant led maternity services at Princess Royal Hospital, and consultant led maternity services, inpatient paediatrics and emergency surgery at Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust."