Alarm over A&E threat (From The Argus)

Alarm over A&E threat

9:53am Thursday 21st June 2007 in

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Two hospital accident and emergency departments in West Sussex will be axed under controversial proposals to shake up health services in the county.

West Sussex Primary Care Trust and Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust have published details of longawaited plans which will lead to there being only one major hospital in the county instead of the existing three.

Worthing Hospital, St Richard's Hospital in Chichester and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath face losing their accident and emergency departments, maternity services and intensive care units as a result of the shakeup.

The Princess Royal could be left as just a community hospital, with patients from Brighton and Hove being forced to go to Worthing for planned operations.

Campaigners last night reacted with fury and promised they would fight the proposals.

West Sussex County Council leader Henry Smith said: "These are disastrous proposals which will hurt every community in the county.

"This is a bleak picture of the future for health services in West Sussex and the county council rejects it totally. "I am bitterly disappointed."

Mike Coleman, the council's deputy leader and health spokesman, said: "Frankly, these proposals are so bad we are urging the board of the primary care trust next week to reject them and demand improvements before the public are consulted.

"There is little point in asking people whether they could support such a terrible set of changes to health services across West Sussex.

"The changes will also have a major impact on services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton which will have to soak up thousands of extra patients a year."

How will you be affected by the proposed changes? Leave your comments below.