We can’t afford to lose our cath lab at St Richards

Almost a year ago, the cardiac catheter lab at St Richard’s was temporarily closed due to a failure of the ventilation system. Nearly a year later, the Trust is considering options for the cath lab, one option being a full closure of the cath lab at St Richard’s, with the work diverted to Worthing Hospital.

The services provided in a cath lab are indispensable for residents in Chichester, particularly given our demographic of a higher-than-average older population. Should the hospital lose this critical resource and diminish its clinical capabilities, I am sure that the cost would be far higher than zeros on a spreadsheet - it would be paid for in people’s health and wellbeing.

This frustration I feel is exacerbated when I hear University Hospitals Sussex Trust is considering opening a fifth catheter lab in Brighton, when Chichester could lose its only one.

Jess Brown-Fuller standing outside St Richards Hospital, calling for the re-opening of the cardiac cath lab

Earlier this week, the Government introduced hospital league tables, the purpose being to provide transparency and accountability for the quality of care. University Hospitals Sussex ranked a dismal 117^th out of 134 trusts, a shocking indictment. The CQC inspection report into St Richard’s Hospital from 2023 rated it as ‘requires improvement’, a significant downgrade in their rating from 2016, which was ‘outstanding’.

It would be naive not to recognise that during that period, two hospital trusts were combined to create a ‘super-trust’, one of the largest in the country, that manages 7 hospitals across Brighton and Hove, West and Mid-Sussex and parts of East Sussex. At the time of the merger, Royal Sussex in Brighton was rated as ‘inadequate’ and Princess Royal in Haywards Heath was ‘poor’, so it is understandable that focus has been on bringing the whole Trust up to a good standard.

Is it possible that while doing that, they’ve taken their eye off the ball in Chichester and allowed the standard to suffer?

Jess' letter to University Hospitals Sussex

I have the privilege of speaking to clinicians at St Richard’s regularly and they are rightly proud of the service and care they provide. More often than not, constituents who have got in touch with me about health complaints comment on the compassionate, caring staff, who are doing the best they can under difficult circumstances. This is not about the individuals providing care, it is about the environment they are asked to work in.

I have been in regular contact with the Trust since this was brought to my attention and they have assured me no final decision has been reached regarding the cath lab, but now I have written publicly to ask for concrete reassurance that cardiac services will remain on the St Richard’s estate.

The hospital might be at the geographical tail end of the Trust, but the value to the Chichester population and wider community is pivotal, and I will continue to press for reassurance that St Richard’s won’t be downgraded or forgotten.