HEALTH chiefs say they want people to get involved in the hospital proposals – but it currently means printing off a 78-page report.
A health trust took days to publish details of how to get involved in its long-awaited £1million public consultation on the future of hospital services. West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) launched its consultation urging people to have their say on its proposals to reduce services to one major hospital in the county last Tuesday and then took four days to actually publish the way it will consult - and then only on its website.
The Herald actually beat the PCT by printing details of how people can have their say in last week's Thursday edition after trawling through a 78-page long public consultation document printed off the PCT's website.
And despite trying to encourage all residents of West Sussex to take part in the 18-week long consultation, it is relying heavily on those who have internet access to get the message across. Those who don't are being asked to ring a phone number - which ironically is only on the website.
John Wilderspin, PCT chief executive of West Sussex Primary Care Trust, said: "I would like to encourage all residents of West Sussex, Brighton and Hove to take active part in the consultation to help improve local health services. We want to hear what people have to say because we are committed to further improving care for them and their families in the years to come.
"We are proposing to develop a major general hospital for West Sussex, providing specialist services such as our main A&E department, the consultant led maternity unit and emergency surgery.
"Centralising specialist services into one major centre will ensure that we have staff with the right skills and back up teams ensuring the best outcomes for patients.
"This is part of a long term plan, and is not just about our large hospitals, but about a comprehensive plan for all our local health services. It is about changing the way we provide health services, not about downgrading services, or closing hospitals.
"We will be keeping many services in our local hospitals and increasing the amount of care we provide in GP surgeries and patients' own homes."
The following story, from Thursday's Herald/Gazette newspapers, told readers how they could lodge their own protests.
West Sussex PCT launched its long-awaited £1million public consultation into the future of health services in the county on Tuesday but unless you have internet access, it is virtually impossible to find out how to have your say.
The consultation runs until October 30 and there will be public meetings to attend but to access this information you have to go to a website where there is a 78-page Fit for the Future report to print and trawl through or an email address.
It points out that if you don't have access to the internet, you can consult a consultation support unit on a freephone number or write to the PCT.
The website is promising an online response form to the various health options will be available soon.
To make sure as many people as possible have their say on the future of hospital services in West Sussex, we're setting out how you can get involved:
• Access
www.southeastcoastfff.nhs.uk• Freephone the consultation support unit on 0800 7076975, which is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 10am to 4pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 6.30pm. There will be a 24-hour answer phone.
• Fax 01903 247591
• Email
fitforthefuture@westsussexpct.nhs.uk• Text message 07824 499266
• Write to Creating an NHS Fit for the Future, FREEPOST SEA 1064, West Sussex Primary Care Trust, The Causeway, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, BN12 6ZZ
• Attend the public meetings which will be held from 7pm to 9pm at The Charmandean Centre, Worthing, on July 24 and October 16, from 7pm, the Shoreham Centre on September 17, Windmill Theatre, Littlehampton, on September 20, Pulborough village hall on October 1 and Drill House, Horsham, on October 4.
• If you run a community group, you can ask for a PCT staff member to attend one of your meetings to talk about the Fit for the Future options. To book, ring 0800 7076975.
• Or go to the Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospital website,
www.kwash.org.ukSee all the background stories and keep up-to-date with the campaign by clicking hereShare this article:del.icio.us