Plans to transfer services to Worthing Hospital (From The Argus)

Plans to transfer services to Worthing Hospital

9:50pm Monday 17th January 2011 in News By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter

Health bosses say they remain committed to a hospital despite plans to move services to another site.

NHS managers want to transfer all inpatient services from Southlands Hospital in Shoreham to Worthing Hospital.

This includes wards for elderly patients and planned orthopaedic surgery such as hip and knee replacements.

A public consultation on the plans is due to launch next month.

The changes are expected to spark fears about the long-term future of Southlands.

However Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, insists it is still committed to the Shoreham hospital.

It intends to carry on providing outpatient services including day case surgery and X-rays.

The proposals also include plans to set up eye surgery services at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester.

The changes mean the overall number of beds at both Worthing and Southlands hospitals will fall by 60.

These are mainly beds used for elderly patients recovering from treatment which will be provided in community settings instead.

In a draft copy of the consultation, due to be considered by West Sussex health overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday, the trust said moving services to Worthing would be better for patients as it would mean all facilities would be based on one site.

It would also mean fewer patients would have to travel between the two hospitals.

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