Healthwatch East Sussex responds to the Care Quality Commission’s recommendation that Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is likely to be placed into special measures

This is very disappointing news for the number of residents from East Sussex who use both the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. Healthwatch East Sussex wants to reassure patients and their families that we will be working closely with our partners to ensure the immediate concerns identified in the report are being addressed. We have and will continue to offer support to the Trust to assist with implementing a sustainable programme of improvement.

It is vitally important in the months ahead that we continue to receive feedback from patients and carers about their experiences. We would encourage any resident using services at either hospital to share their views; including good experiences and not so good. Your feedback is an important contribution to the process of improving services and will form part of ongoing conversations with commissioners and our partners. You can leave feedback on our website www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk or by contacting our information and signposting service on 0333 101 4007.

There were also good and outstanding areas of care identified in the CQC report for example; services for children and young people, caring (in medical care, including older people’s care), surgery, critical care, end of life care and maternity and gynaecology.  Healthwatch East Sussex acknowledges these findings and would want to see the Trust build upon and learn from the good practices identified.

To see the full report published today by the CQC click here http://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RXH