Inspectors downgrade hospitals trust’s rating
The NHS trust responsible for St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester has been told it must improve.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the overall rating of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UH Sussex) from ‘outstanding’ to ‘requires improvement’.
It comes after an inspection between October and December ‘showed a decline in the care’ being delivered ‘across several key areas’.
The trust is responsible for hospitals including Worthing, Southlands in Shoreham, St Richard’s in Chichester, the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath and the Royal Sussex County in Brighton. It was formed by the merger of two previously separate organisations, Western Sussex Hospitals and Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals, in April, 2021.
Trust-wide inspectors found staff believed there was a ‘culture of bullying and harassment’ which ‘pressured them in to making unsafe decisions’, while minority ethnic staff survey results showed they were ‘more likely to experience poorer outcomes than their white colleagues’.
How well-led Worthing Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital were declined from ‘outstanding’ to ‘good’, although both remained ‘outstanding’ overall. Both kept their‘ outstanding’ ratings for being effective, caring and responsive and their ‘good’ ratings for safety.
The overall rating for Royal Sussex County Hospital fell from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’, as did the hospital’s rating for safe and well-led. Effective remained ‘good’, caring remained ‘outstanding’ and responsive remained ‘requires improvement’.
The overall rating for the Princess Royal Hospital dropped from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’, as did ratings for safe and well-led. Effective, responsive, and caring all retained their ‘good’ rating. The CQC has recommended to NHS England that the trust be given the highest level of support via its recovery support programme.
Deanna Westwood, th eC QC’ s director of operations in the south, said: “We carried out this inspection of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust in response to concerns raised with us around culture and leadership.
“At the time of our inspection we found staff on the front line doing their best to provide safe and effective care and treatment, despite significant pressures and a challenging working environment.
“However, staff and people using services were being let down by senior leaders, especially the board, who often appeared out of touch with what was happening on the ward sand clinical areas and it was affecting people’s care and treatment.
“Staff told us they felt unable to raise concerns without fear of reprisal, so I want to praise those who were brave enough to come forward anyway, despite those fears.
“At the time of this inspection the new chief executive had been in post for four months. The board know where they need to improve and we will continue to monitor services closely, including through future inspections to ensure this is rapid and widespread. If this does not happen, we will not hesitate to take further action to keep people safe.”