New service on its way to St Richard's Hospital

Big changes on the cards for hospital services in a large area of West Sussex could provide a tonic for thousands of patients.

Major improvements were predicted at a meeting of the county's health overview and scrutiny committee, if the proposals go ahead after extensive public consultation.

For Chichester, there are plans to bring back opthalmic surgery

to St Richard's Hospital.

Large numbers of people with eye problems at present have to travel to Worthing Hospital, which means a round trip of more than 40 miles from the city, and much further from some other parts of the area.

Refurbishment of the opthalmic outpatients' department at St Richard's '“ described as inadequate in terms of space and facilities, and in a poor state of repair '“ is also proposed.

The developments are included in a new clinical strategy prepared by the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust.

They also include plans to move inpatient orthopaedics and elderly care beds from Southlands to Worthing Hospital, and move opthalmology from Worthing to Southlands.