Brighter future for Littlehampton’s health services

Firm plans for the facilities will be produced by the end of September, NHS chiefs have promised the town’s MP Nick Gibb and town, Arun and county councillor Dr James Walsh, in talks over the future of health services in the town.

The meeting was called following NHS Sussex’s announcement earlier this year that it would not be going ahead with plans for a new hospital at Littlehampton, after years of delays, stalling and broken promises by successive NHS bodies and officials.

Mr Gibb and Dr Walsh met with Amanda Fadero, chief executive of NHS Sussex, Steve Pollock, chief executive of new Coastal West Sussex Commissioning Group and its vice-chairman, Littlehampton GP Dr Tim Kimber.

Mr Gibb said afterwards: “I am still anxious to ensure that a community hospital with beds is provided by the NHS to replace the hospital knocked down six years ago.

“This is a tourist town that needs a centrally located hospital for minor injuries and we are a town with significant numbers of elderly people who need to know there’s a community hospital within easy reach.”

Dr Walsh highlighted the need to provide a range of services, including outpatient clinics, x-ray and ultra-sound, physiotherapy, diagnostics, mental health centre, minor injuries unit and community dentistry, “as both Pepperville House and the old health centre are also at the end of their life”.

Mr Pollock and Dr Kimber agreed that firm plans for the provision of all the clinic facilities would be produced by the commissioning group, made up of GPs who are now responsible for planning and running health services, by the end of September, together with a full business case.

It’s not clear at this stage whether the new facilities would be in a new building on the old hospital site in Fitzalan Road, or on an entirely new site, possibly closer to the housing development proposed to the north of the town.

Mr Gibb added: “This at last is a small step forward, but the people of Littlehampton want to see community hospital beds in the town.”

Dr Walsh welcomed the positive developments coming out of the meeting.

He said: “It is the first time in six years that we have got a firm promise of progress to replace some of what we have lost, and to modernise what we are about to lose.

“Our job now is to ensure that the promise is delivered in the near future.”