Community Must Be Consulted

Rustington GP Dr Matthew Taylor-Roberts said it was not sufficient for health chiefs making decisions about the two hospitals to merely "brief" councillors from the area.

"It is particularly important that the community and its representatives continue to be listened to in the next stage of this review," Dr Taylor-Roberts told the first meeting of the new Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust (PCT).

He was commenting on a review set up by the trust to look into plans for the reorganisation of Littlehampton Hospital and Zachary Merton Hospital, Rustington.

Six weeks ago, the Gazette revealed the estimated cost of the project had almost tripled to 10.3m in less than two years, while projected running costs had soared even more, from 665,000 to 2.1m.

Plans approved by West Sussex Health Authority in November, 2000, proposed redeveloping Zachary Merton as a new 60-bed hospital serving Littlehampton and Rustington, with Littlehampton Hospital re-modelled as a multi-purpose health and social services "resource centre".

Details of the escalating costs emerged as the new PCT took over the project from NHS bodies it was replacing.

Dr Taylor-Roberts said the two hospitals had been providing important services for around 100 years and were "hugely valued" by the community, and that factor must not be overlooked.

"It has been an ongoing battle to help health authorities understand the value of them," he added.

Brian Hughes, director of planning and partnership for the new PCT, said monthly sessions would be held with councillors from Rustington Parish, Littlehampton Town and Arun District councils, a Worthing Community Health Council (CHC) representative, and the chairmen of the two hospitals' league of friends' organisations.

They would not only be briefed, but would be involved in the "very open" process, too, he stressed.

CHC chief officer Trevor Richards said the future of the hospitals had been debated for more than 20 years. "I thought we had reached a final decision when the consultation was held in 2000," he added.

Mr Richards underlined the need to have confidence that the PCT could finally deliver what was proposed.

PCT chairman Keith Gilmour said the NHS reorganisation would not be used as an excuse to delay the progress of the project. The group reviewing it would report back to the PCT board in July.

But a note of caution was sounded by PCT chief executive Steve Phoenix. He said: "We have to represent the interests of all the people in Adur, Arun and Worthing, not just those people local to the community hospitals at Littlehampton and Rustington."