Agenda item

26.1     The Committee considered a report about plans by UHSx to make changes to the provision of elective colorectal cancer surgery across its Sussex hospital sites. The proposals were to relocate all Elective Colorectal & Lower GI Cancer Surgery and Stoma Reversal Surgery from RSCH to the Worthing site, creating a centre of excellence for Colorectal Cancer Surgery delivered across Worthing and St Richard’s (Chichester) hospitals.

26.2     The Committee asked whether any East Sussex residents would be required to travel to Chichester for surgery.

26.3     Professor Katie Urch, UHSx Chief Medical Officer, explained that the impact on East Sussex residents was very small, as ESHT provided the majority of colorectal cancer surgery for the county. The move of surgery to Worthing would only affect a small number of patients from East Sussex (less than 1 per week) who would be treated at the Worthing site. The patients that would have to travel to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester would not be East Sussex residents, and would be patients in West Sussex which were west of Worthing.

26.4     The Committee asked when the new theatre and additional bed capacity would in place at Worthing.

26.5     Prof Urch explained that the new theatre was empty theatre stock that UHSx already had, and the equipment required had already been purchased.

26.6     The Committee asked if the new theatre at Worthing would be dedicated to colorectal surgery.

26.7     Prof Urch explained that the reason for the move to Worthing was that currently there was a high number of short-notice cancellations due to emergency patients. Worthing has a much smaller volume of emergency patients compared to Brighton, so it was much less likely that operations would be subject to short-notice cancellation.

26.8     The Committee asked whether UHSx would be able to recruit enough specialists to support the proposal.

26.9     Prof Urch explained that UHSx had received a very good response and strong candidates to its recruitment and inquiries, as the model being proposed of a high-volume specialist centre was a place that people wanted to work.

26.10   The Committee asked what would make the provision at Worthing a Centre of Excellence.

26.11   Prof Urch explained that it would be deemed a Centre of Excellence by demonstrating that it was meeting national standards of excellence. This included high volume of activity per surgeon, better outcomes, shorter than average length of stays among other criteria. Worthing did not quite meet this at the moment as it did not have the volume of activity, but the implementation of the proposals would be the last element of the criteria to define it as a Centre of Excellence.

26.12   The Committee asked if anything was being moved from Worthing to make space.

26.13   Prof Urch explained that UHSx was not needing to move anything from Worthing as there was spare theatre capacity that was not being used. UHSx had already made the investment to expand the bed space for post-surgery patients. As patients stayed a relatively short time at Worthing post-op UHSx knew how many beds it would need, and these were available.

26.14   The Committee asked what the difference between the Royal Marsden and the proposed Worthing Centre of Excellence would be.

26.15   Prof Urch explained that Worthing would be a surgical Centre of Excellence and that it would meet this definition once the proposals went through. The Royal Marsden was a Centre of Excellence for oncology, rather than surgery, which was a separate element of the cancer pathway.

26.16   The Committee RESOLVED to:

1)    Agree that the proposed changes to colorectal cancer surgery pathway at UHSx do not constitute a substantial variation to health services for East Sussex residents.