Hospital Services near Selsey
St Richard's Hospital and emergency care
The nearest hospital to Selsey is St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, approximately eight miles to the north. St Richard's is the main acute hospital serving the Chichester district and the wider western Sussex area. It is managed by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and provides a full range of services including accident and emergency, maternity, general surgery, orthopaedics, cancer treatment, cardiology, respiratory medicine and outpatient clinics.
For Selsey residents, the journey to St Richard's takes around twenty minutes by car in normal traffic conditions. By bus, the journey is longer, typically thirty to forty minutes, and requires a connection from the Selsey to Chichester bus service. For emergencies requiring an ambulance, the response time is affected by the distance and the single B2145 road. During periods of heavy traffic, particularly summer weekends, the journey can take longer, which is a genuine concern for residents with serious health conditions.
St Richard's accident and emergency department operates around the clock and handles the full range of emergencies from the area. For less serious injuries and illnesses, the hospital also provides an urgent treatment centre. The maternity department at St Richard's provides antenatal care, birth services and postnatal support, and Selsey women expecting a baby attend the hospital for their care.
Cancer services are provided at St Richard's, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy at the specialist centre, surgery and outpatient follow-up. For some specialist treatments, patients may be referred to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton or to hospitals in London.
Outpatient appointments at St Richard's are a regular occurrence for many Selsey residents, particularly among the older population. The drive to Chichester for appointments, blood tests, scans and consultations is a familiar routine. The hospital car park can be busy, and parking charges apply.
The distance from hospital care is one of the practical realities of living in Selsey. The town's GP surgery handles as much as possible locally, but for anything requiring hospital facilities, the drive to Chichester is unavoidable. Community nursing services, district nurses and specialist outreach clinics help to bridge the gap, providing some hospital-level care in the community and reducing the need for unnecessary trips to Chichester.