The MP for Chichester has called on University Hospitals Sussex to make sure the cardiac cath lab at St Richard’s in Chichester reopens after renovation work.
The facility has been closed since late 2024 due to ventilation issues.
Jess Brown-Fuller says she’s heard from patients and doctors worried about delays to procedures and the long-term outlook for the lab.
In a letter sent on Thursday 11 September, Jess Brown-Fuller raised concerns from clinicians and patients, including delays to vital procedures such as pacemaker installation and fears about the lab’s long-term future.
She wrote:
“I have serious concerns about a permanent closure. Such a decision would severely compromise St Richard’s ability to deliver comprehensive cardiac care and would represent a significant downgrading of the hospital’s services.
Given the consistent demand for cardiac services, closure would be particularly alarming for those living with long-term heart conditions. Patients requiring outpatient interventions would no longer be able to access services locally, with the elderly population being especially vulnerable to the challenges of travelling greater distances for essential cardiac care.”
St Richard’s Hospital has in the past discussed the issue with Jess and has written to her stating that no final decisions had been made on the lab.
Jess Brown-Fuller has since said:
“The cardiac cath lab at St Richard’s has served many people across my constituency, with a strong team of professionals about whom I have heard nothing but praise.
But their fantastic work is being undermined by the continued closure of the lab and its uncertain future.
Residents in Chichester deserve a good deal when it comes to healthcare provision and a decision to close the lab would actively undermine that.
I have called on the hospital leaders for the lab to be re-opened in full, so that residents in Chichester can get the care they deserve.”
University Hospitals Sussex has been asked for comment on this matter, and so far has not responded to V2 Radio's request for a statement.
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