Admissions to A&E soar by a fifth

The number of people being admitted to Accident and Emergency departments in local hospitals has soared by a fifth in the last three years alone. The figures have been revealed ina Department of Health reply to Arundel and South Downs Mp Nick Herbert. In addition there was an increase in the number of babies born at local hospitals.

The substantial increases come at a time when the downgrading of local hospitals, including the Princess Royal, St Richards and Worthing could see them losing their A&E departments and maternity services, forcing patients to make the journey to either Portsmouth, Brighton or Redhill.

The number of patients being admitted to the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which includes the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, via its A&E departments rose from 17,721 in 2003-04 to 20,073 in 2005-06, an increase of 13 per cent. The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust, which includes St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, saw an increase in A&E admissions from 11,103 to 13,222 between 2003-04 and 2005-06 (up 19 per cent), while the Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust saw A&E admissions rise from 12,168 in 2003-04 to 14,124 in 2005-06 (up 16 per cent).

The Government's figures look even starker when placed against the estimate that West Sussex's population will increase by at least 30,000 by 2016 and when the Government remains determined to impose at least 58,000 new houses on West Sussex over the next two decades.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette November 29