Public consultation on the future of Eastbourne Station Health Centre now open

Local people are being asked to have their say on proposals to change NHS walk-in services in Eastbourne. After careful consideration, and the approval of its governing body on 29 January, NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford (EHS) Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is consulting on a proposal to close the walk-in service at Eastbourne Station Health Centre. The public consultation runs from 3 February – 30 April and as many views and comments as possible are wanted to ensure any future decision is informed by feedback from the local community.

The proposal follows extensive analysis about how and when local people are using the walk-in centre. This was combined with far-reaching engagement work with local people, stakeholders and partners to gather their feedback on the walk-in services in Eastbourne town centre and the other healthcare services they might use. 

Nothing is changing immediately and local people are still able to access walk-in services in the current location, seven days a week, from 8am-8pm. People registered with a GP at Eastbourne Station Health Centre are also still able to access appointments in the usual way.

The CCG proposals centre around recent improvements to local services, including: 

• Improved access GP appointments – Additional appointments with GPs, practice nurses or another health professionals in the evenings, weekends and on bank holidays. There are now an average of 1,900 appointments a month offered over and above those in ‘normal’ GP hours in the Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG area.
• NHS 111 which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and has fully trained call handlers including health care experts who can review people’s symptoms right there and then. Soon the health care experts that take the calls will be able to access healthcare records and book appointments with an appropriate health professional should they be needed.
• Urgent Treatment Centres are now available at the Eastbourne District General Hospital and The Conquest Hospital in Hastings. Our Urgent Treatment Centres are open for at least 12 hours a day, every day of the week (including bank holidays). They offer a walk-in service, and from Spring 2020 people can be booked into the Urgent Treatment Centres by NHS 111. The purpose of Urgent Treatment Centres is to diagnose and treat those people attending A&E who have a minor injury or illness, such as sprains and strains, suspected broken limbs, ear and throat infections, and feverish illness in adults and children that really need to be seen on the same day.

You can find out more about the CCG proposals and take part in the consultation online by visiting our dedicated webpage. Hard copies of the consultation document are also available from Eastbourne Station Health Centre, or you can call 01273 403687/email EHSCCG.YourSay@nhs.net to request a copy. To take part please read the document in full, and then pull out the four page section in the centre of the document, answer the questions, and post it in the freepost envelope provided.

Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users can share their views by using the free SignLive app that connects them to a qualified British Sign Language interpreter. More information about the service and when it is available is on our contact page.

Opinion Research Services Ltd. (ORS) has been appointed by the CCG to manage the consultation feedback and questionnaire responses and to faithfully report the outcomes. ORS will produce a comprehensive independent report of the findings for the NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG governing body to consider before any decisions are made about the future of the Eastbourne Station Health Centre.