Health bosses today revealed the full extent of a nursing shortage at two hospitals which look after thousands of patients in Mid Sussex.

Crawley Hospital and East Surrey Hospital at Redhill are about a fifth down on the number of nurses they want - and the situation is worse in operating

theatres and special care for babies.

They also admitted that existing staff were unsettled over the possible move of services to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.

Change

West Sussex and East Surrey health authorities sparked fury when they announced the possible move of casualty patients and mothers-to-be to Redhill, more than ten miles away.

But the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust denied shortages have reached crisis point and said the hospitals were going through a time of change.

A spokesman said: "The trust has a nursing vacancy rate of 18 per cent in its medical directorate and 23 per cent in its surgical directorate.

"This clearly masks a number of areas where there are no vacancies and some areas which we consider hot-spots, like theatres and the special care baby unit.

"Thanks to the commitment of staff working across the trust, we have an active, ongoing and creative nurse recruitment campaign."

Health Secretary Alan Milburn will decide whether services move to Redhill after Mid Downs Community Health Council agreed he should examine the controversial proposals.

The trust spokesman said: "One of the reasons the trust has been so keen to move forward with proposals for change in its hospitals is to be able to dispel staff uncertainties.

"The sooner it is in a position to confirm to staff what has been accepted as the way forward, the sooner staff will feel less uncertain. That uncertainty is unsettling for staff."

The trust's comments came in response to claims by a nurse at Crawley Hospital, who contacted the Argus about low morale among overworked staff.

The nurse, who said she would be sacked if she was identified, said: "This trust is in crisis. Everyone is unhappy and morale is at rock bottom. We only find anything out by reading the paper.

"The chief executive of the trust, Isobel Gowan, came in and said staff could be sacked if they spoke to the Press. This was at a senior management meeting, which was passed on to the nurses.

"I think it's appalling. It's desperate what's going on. The nurses and doctors are tearing their hair out."

The trust spokesman commented: "Staff are never and will never be

told not to speak to the Press, unless it is an issue around confidential information relating to any of the trust's patients or staff."

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