Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WSHT) and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH) are planning to merge in spring next year and are asking for the public to give their opinions on the move by completing a short survey that can be found online. In the survey, you will be able to highlight improvements you wish to see in Sussex’s hospitals and raise any concerns you have about the merge. They are also asking respondents to suggest name ideas of what the trust should be called.
Both organisations are highly thought of by the NHS; in October 2019, WSHT became the first non-specialist acute hospital trust to be awarded Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in all key inspection areas. BSUH also became the fastest improving acute hospital trust in England and is now rated Good overall and Outstanding for caring by the CQC.
The new trust would run five hospitals and employ around 20,000 staff with the capacity to care for 1.8 million people in the county. Chief executive Dame Marianne Griffiths has encouraged people to fill out the survey: “As we move forwards together, our ambition is to always keep improving, and provide excellent care, every time, for our patients. Building on the best of each organisation unlocks many opportunities that benefit patients, as well as our staff, partners and communities in Sussex. As we develop these plans, please share your thoughts on our vision and values, as well as your hopes and concerns for the new organisation and the services we provide.”
Chairman of the BSUH and WSHT boards, Alan McCarthy MBE, added: “The pandemic has taught us the value of working together. Being able to provide assistance and share resources was hugely beneficial and as one organisation we’ll be able to do this seamlessly. A merger will also enable us to provide the very best clinical services and invest more in new ones, work better with our partners whilst ensuring all our hospitals remain at the heart of the communities they serve.”