CQC inspectors find exhausted staff at Royal Sussex hospital

Improvements at a Sussex hospital trust have been inconsistent, and more must be done, inspectors have found.

University Hospitals Sussex trust had been told to improve its maternity departments, as well as surgical services and the emergency department at Royal Sussex County Hospital.

However only the required improvements at the maternity units have been made.

Dr George Findlay, chief executive of the trust, said: "We recognise there is more work to do and we are doing it."

The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Worthing Hospital, St Richard's Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital, was served a warning notice by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December.

All four hospitals' maternity services had previously been rated as "poor" by the CQC.

An inspection in April, published on Friday, found services had improved in the trust's maternity units, in part due to better teamwork and collaboration between medical and midwifery staff.

Women were treated with compassion and emotional support was provided, inspectors found, and staff always investigated poor outcomes to identify opportunities to learn.

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC head of hospital inspection, said it was "positive that so much progress has been made".

However "very little" improvement have been made to surgical services at The Royal Sussex County Hospital, which are rated "inadequate".

Ms Jenkinson said it was "worrying", adding: "Leaders understood the issues that service faced but weren't always able to manage them."

Patients requiring emergency surgery at the Royal Sussex experienced delays, there was a lack of nursing and support staff, and staff who were present were exhausted, inspectors found.

The hospital's emergency department was also downgraded from "good" to "requires improvements" after concerns were raised.

Patients were frequently left in corridors and there were long delays in treating and admitting patients.

Dr Findlay said: "I have been extremely impressed by the efforts and commitment of colleagues in all our hospitals to always provide the highest standards of patient care despite the pressures on our services.

"We recognise there is more work to do and we are doing it."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].