News Date: Tuesday 27th March 2007
National Clinical Director for Emergency Access deeply concerned about West Sussex reconfiguration plans.
In a meeting held at the House of Commons last Wednesday Professor Sir George Alberti, the National Clinical Director for Emergency Access, expressed his belief that it was inappropriate for West Sussex reconfiguration to go ahead if the outcome would leave only one Major General Hospital (MGH) to serve a PCT of 762,000 people.
Professor Alberti expressed his view that MGH's should serve a population of approximately 300,000 and promised to be in contact with the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority and local PCTs to discuss why plans for such a reconfiguration were on the table.
The SHA's consultation document is likely to be finally published after the local elections and it is expected that it will put forward a proposal for only one Major General Hospital in the area. In the light of Professor Alberti's comments that a MGH should serve on average 300,000 people it is essential that the SHA also put forward the multi site option which acknowledges that Worthing and St Richard's hospitals already serve populations in excess of 300,000.
East Worthing & Shoreham MP Tim Loughton commented:
"Professor Alberti's comments are confirmation of what every resident of Worthing and Adur already knows - shutting Worthing hospital will put resident's lives at risk.
"If Major General Hospitals across the rest of the country are supposed to serve approximately 300,000 people then why are the Department of Health and the South East Coast SHA asking us in West Sussex to consider only having one Major General Hospital which would serve a massive 700,000 people.
West Worthing MP Peter Bottomley commented:
"It is alarming that these drastic reconfiguration plans being considered in West Sussex were not even on the radar of the man whose job it is to ensure that everyone has access to an Accident and Emergency department."
Mark Signey, Consultant Cardiologist at Worthing hospital commented:
"I was present at this Parliamentary Health Group and brought the fears over our local reconfiguration plans to Professor Alberti's attention. As Worthing hospital already serves a population of around 300,000 people I simply cannot understand the logic behind proposals to close it.
"I am looking forward to hearing the outcome of Professor Alberti's discussions with the SHA."
ENDS
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