Leadership Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust rated requires improvement
Health watchdog CQC steps in after inspection
Last updated 5 hours ago
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced that leadership at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust needs improvement after downgrading their previous rating from outstanding.
This decision comes after an inspection carried out in November last year.
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides services for about 744,000 people in East Surrey, West Sussex, and South Croydon.
The CQC found issues with how the trust is managed and issued a warning to make immediate improvements.
Amanda Williams from CQC spoke about the inspection, saying that there was a noticeable gap between leadership goals and what's actually happening day-to-day for staff and patients:
“What concerned us most was how many staff told us they didn’t feel safe to speak up. Our inspectors heard that raising concerns through formal channels was difficult, that people feared reprisal, and that concerns weren’t always resolved when they were raised.”
The inspection report noted problems for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with disabilities, who experienced more bullying and fewer opportunities for growth.
Frontline staff also reported feeling overworked and undervalued.
Williams acknowledged efforts for change, including some improvements in reducing wait times for care.
The trust faced criticism for not supporting people in deprived areas and those needing better communication help.
Handling roughly 650 complaints each year, the trust was found lacking a dedicated team, leading to late responses.
On a positive note, the trust is working with community health teams to keep older people out of hospitals and opening new facilities for diagnostic tests.
Andrew Hines, Chief Executive, said, “Since then November, we have made major changes to our executive leadership team, implemented a comprehensive improvement programme overseen by the Trust Board, and made significant progress across a number of the areas highlighted by the CQC.”
The trust is enhancing leadership programmes and addressing equality issues, with additional plans to update strategies for digital services and public engagement.