Western Sussex Hospitals Trust analyses feedback after consultation

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust wants to make changes to inpatient orthopaedic, ophthalmology and elderly care services.

The changes, which are part of the Service Redesign for Quality in West Sussex would result in all major operations taking place close to critical care facilities, and would cut down the number of times patients are transferred between sites.

The trust said the changes would take place over a period of up to two years, accompanied by improvements to community-based NHS care in the area.

Recommendations will be drawn up in June and will then be considered by the boards of WSHT, NHS West Sussex, and the Coastal West Sussex GP Federation.

The West Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will also consider the recommendations.

Director of strategy at WSHT Nick Fox said: “We would like to thank the many people who took the time and trouble to find out more about our proposals.

“The valuable feedback they have given us will help us to assess where the plans work well, and the issues people think we need to give extra consideration to before making any decisions.”

A total of 503 formal responses to the proposals were received.