Our year in numbers
Welcome...
We hope you enjoy our special edition one-year UHSussex anniversary newsletter for staff and volunteers.

On this day last year, during a global pandemic that endures to this day, we joined forces to become UHSussex.

It has been one of the hardest years in NHS history, tackling wave after wave of Covid-19, significant patient volumes and long waiting lists.

Throughout even the toughest days, you have remained dedicated and focused on our patients.

Looking back, within months of merging, we became the best performing Trust in the country in reducing the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment. And over the last year, we’ve cut the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment by 35%.

In the last six months alone, through collaborative cross-site working, we have also significantly reduced the number of patients at risk of waiting longer than two years for treatment from 1,800 to less than 100. An improvement of 94%.

We hope you can find a few minutes to grab a cuppa and read more about some of our first-year highlights as UHSussex.

Thank you,
Communications
Growing and supporting our workforce
Without doubt, the last few years have taken their toll on NHS workforces across the country.

Across all our sites, we have increased our health and wellbeing support in response to stress, exhaustion and burnout.

These include recruiting psychological support for colleagues in critical care, rolling out appraisals that are focused on wellbeing, and offering enhanced menopause resources. This is in addition to investing in our on-site counselling provision, including through our chaplaincy teams.

We will also soon be creating more wellbeing hubs, increasing our wellbeing first aiders and reviewing our health and wellbeing strategy.

Creating better career opportunities for staff, including supporting recruitment and retention, has remained one of our main focuses as a new, larger Trust.

In the last year, we have recruited several experienced and talented leaders into new executive and directorship posts. They will drive forward our commitment to improving care through Patient First and transforming hospital services for the better.
UHSussex in the news: View our flipbook
It’s been a busy year of news stories celebrating staff successes, service innovations and patient stories. Here’s just a flavour of the news stories we’ve shared…..
Digital transformation

Coming together as one trust has also provided us an opportunity to improve patient care through a number of digital transformations.
Looking forward

Our next chapter is an exciting one; one with Dr George Findlay as our new Chief Executive from 1 June, as we set course for a bright future.

Our path ahead includes a new clinical operating model and clinical strategy, and a clear vision of the further improvements we want to make for our patients.

Dr Andy Heeps, who is currently Chief Executive, is in the process of establishing a strong leadership to implement the new clinical operating model. The updated model will see us, in most cases, move to a single clinical division, with one leadership team and consistent ways of working.

And our Chief Medical Officer, Charlotte Hopkins, is now leading on developing the clinical strategy, building on what patients and staff have told us about what matters to them and where we can improve our services.
Charity news
Spring it on for UHSussex Armed Forces Wellbeing Garden!

The UHSussex Armed Forces Steering Group is running a Spring Raffle to raise funds for Love Your Hospital to fund a Memorial Garden at Southlands Hospital for Armed Forces Veteran patients and staff and their families.

The green healing space for Veterans suffering from PTSD and physical injury will also serve as a focal point for commemorative events, social gatherings, and more.

The top raffle prize is a 40” LED Smart TV with hundreds of goodies also up for grabs including luxury hampers and high-end perfumes. There are also bonus prizes for ‘Bestselling Department’, ‘Best Individual Raffle Seller’ and ‘Best Supporter’.

To purchase your raffle tickets, or to become a nominated raffle ticket seller for your ward or department, please contact corinne.highton@nhs.net. The draw will take place on Friday 29 April.

Find out more about the Armed Forces Network at www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/af.
In case you missed it...
Our news round-up of other stories from across the Trust
Patient feedback highlights
Next all staff briefing: Wednesday 6 April, 12-1pm