Thousands oppose Uckfield hospital unit closure

A petition urging the NHS to reverse its decision to close “vital” facilities at an East Sussex hospital has garnered thousands of signatures. Specifically, over 2,000 individuals have expressed opposition to the proposed closure of the day care surgery unit at Uckfield Community Hospital. The East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which operates a 15-bed unit at Uckfield offering various day surgery procedures, has stated its intention to boost the total volume of day surgery by relocating treatments to its facilities in Eastbourne and Hastings. Duncan Bennett, the initiator of the petition, articulated concerns that the unit’s closure would impose stress on patients, necessitating longer travel distances for their medical care. He stated, “As a beacon of community care and commitment, it has served countless residents, providing vital treatment within our community, sparing them the stress of travelling and receiving care in unfamiliar places. It also reduces the burden from the already overwhelmed facilities at the major general hospitals where waiting lists will undoubtedly lengthen due to any such local closure.” Penney Bell, a signatory of the petition, commented: “So many older people find it daunting to travel long distances, often at great expense, for small procedures like those performed at this unit.” The consultant-led unit in Uckfield offers day surgery for a range of conditions, including vascular, maxillofacial (dental and skin cancer lesions), urology, ENT (ear, nose and throat), trauma, and orthopaedic issues. This unit is scheduled to cease operations for a six-month trial period commencing on 2 December. A spokesperson for the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust indicated that this change is intended to enhance treatment times. The spokesperson stated, “We have identified an opportunity to increase the overall number of day surgery procedures we can provide to our communities if we bring the non-complex day cases that currently take place at Uckfield onto our main sites at Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital in Hastings.” They added, “Our latest data shows that of the patients recently treated at our day surgery unit in Uckfield, almost 90% live nearer to our two main hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, so for the vast majority of our patients receiving surgical treatment at Uckfield, a change in location should also bring care closer to home.” The spokesperson further explained, “Therefore, we are testing this approach for six months, to understand if it can mean we can support more people more quickly, especially over the winter period – including those living in the Uckfield area.” The spokesperson also confirmed that the broader array of services available at the hospital would not be affected.