Sally-Ann Hart, the MP for Hastings and Rye, and Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle are encouraging local residents to have their say on improving cardiology and ophthalmology in East Sussex through the Sussex Health and Care Partnership’s public consultations.
The consultations are due to end on Friday 11th March 2022 and can both be accessed on the Partnership’s website: https://www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/get-involved/cardiology-ophthalmology-east-sussex.
The proposals in their current form aim to improve the care available in East Sussex and cut waiting times, and they will also help to enable staff to develop their skills and expertise so more patients in the region can benefit from new medical treatments and technologies.
For cardiology, clinicians want to create new cardiac response teams at the emergency departments at the Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne District General Hospital, and to concentrate the most highly specialised cardiac services at one of these hospital sites.
For ophthalmology, clinicians want to consolidate the services currently provided at Eastbourne General Hospital, Bexhill Hospital, and the Conquest Hospital into two sites at Eastbourne District General Hospital and Bexhill Hospital. This would enable patients to have quicker access to tests and treatment with more input from the most senior clinicians. It would also enable one-stop clinics, reducing the number of appointments patients need to attend.
Whilst the cardiology and ophthalmology proposals are not linked, they are being run in parallel to make it easier and simpler for people who have an interest in both.
Commenting on the public consultations, Sally-Ann Hart said:
“Over the past year clinicians from the East Sussex Healthcare Trust, GPs and other health professionals have expertly examined evidence and examples when considering how to improve cardiology and ophthalmology services in the region, and I welcome that these have been made public and two parallel consultations opened.
It is, however, crucially important that local people engage with these consultations that are due to close on Friday 11th March 2022 to ensure that their voices are heard and that Hastings, Rye and the surrounding villages are fully and properly taken into consideration when final decisions are made.
More information about the consultations, including how to respond to them, can be found online here: https://www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/get-involved/cardiology-ophthalmology-east-sussex.”
Also commenting, Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle said:
“As an MP representing constituents who visit both the Conquest and Eastbourne DGH hospital sites, my prime concern is that these important cardiology and ophthalmology services provide the best clinical outcomes for local patients. These proposals have been led entirely by clinicians who want to improve services for patients. It is therefore important that any decisions on the future location of these services are entirely patient-focused and are not made by, or influenced by, politicians. I would therefore urge my constituents to engage in these consultations to help inform the hospital trust of local views and concerns and to help them decide the best location for these services.”
Useful Links:
- Cardiology Consultation Document https://www.sussexccgs.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/0403-Cardiology-WEB.pdf.
- Ophthalmology Consultation Document https://www.sussexccgs.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/0403-Ophthalmology-WEB.pdf.
- Improving Cardiology and Ophthalmology Services in East Sussex https://www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/get-involved/cardiology-ophthalmology-east-sussex.
