Watchdog: Royal Sussex requires improvement

The Royal Sussex County Hospital requires improvement, according to government inspectors.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) delivered its verdict today (Friday), with accident and emergency (AandE), medical care, surgery, maternity and outpatient services all said to require improvement.

The hospital was, however, rated good for critical care, children's care, and end-of-life care.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex, was rated good for caring and effectiveness.

Inspectors found the flow of patients from AandE through the Royal Sussex was affecting patient care and experience in a number of different departments and wards.

As a result, some patients were being treated on wards that were not specific to their condition.

The hospital trust has been working with family doctors in Brighton and Hove and neighbouring areas to try to provide better access to GP surgeries.

Bed-blocking is also a problem. The CQC said: 'Discharge levels were too low to always meet the demand of patients requiring admission.'

In the past year, there has been almost a threefold rise in the number of elderly patients medically fit for discharge but occupying beds, because there was nowhere else for them to go.

Inspectors found staff communicated with people and supported them in a compassionate way. And patients and their families spoke highly of the care that they had received.

The CQC added: 'The senior leadership of the trust were found to be visible and effective and were delivering a significant programme of change and improvement.'