It's been a busy start to 2023 at UHSussex, but despite one of the toughest winters ever for the NHS, we still have lots of wonderful stories to share.
We started the new year by recognising the outstanding contributions of our long service colleagues, and we opened nominations for our annual Patient First staff recognition awards.
We applauded our St Richard’s and Worthing maternity units for their commitment to a global programme, highlighted the tremendous efforts of our Digestive Diseases Outpatient department and Hepatology team, and saw our surgical hub praised nationally for their top standards.
What’s more, we toured our new purpose-built cancer facility at Worthing, announced investment to transform emergency and urgent care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, and provided updates ahead of our new Louisa Martindale Building opening soon in Brighton soon.
Of course, these are just a few highlights and there are many more to share in this newsletter, including an appeal for you to participate in our public consultation into how we can further improve our stroke service in West Sussex.
The past few months have been exceptionally busy, with nurse, junior doctor, ambulance and physiotherapist strikes. Thank you all for your ongoing support for UHSussex. It is a testament to how our local community values our colleagues, and our NHS.
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£48m investment into emergency care |
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Emergency care in Brighton is set for a £48m overhaul, delivering better and more effective care for patients.
Plans have been agreed for the multi-million pound investment at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, which will see a radical improvement not just of the Emergency Department (ED) itself, but also to the way in which the local NHS supports people needing urgent care.
More space, more resuscitation beds, and a new three-storey treatment centre – the ambition is to completely transform the current ED, which is ageing and cramped, and increasingly not fit for purpose.
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Have your say on a proposal to change how and where we deliver our stroke service in West Sussex |
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We want to hear from as many Trust members as possible about a proposal we have to develop a new Acute Stroke Centre at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester. A 12-week public consultation ends on 21 April and you can find out more on the Sussex Health & Care website.
On Friday 31 March, 10am-11.30am, you can also attend an online public briefing and ask questions about the proposal (Book your place at the event). In the remaining weeks of the consultation, we are particularly keen to hear from men of all ages and backgrounds.
Consultant stroke physician at Worthing Hospital, Dr Rajen Patel, said: “We know some people are concerned about having to travel a bit further to a specialist stroke centre in either Chichester or Brighton but spending 10-20 minutes longer in ambulance is far outweighed by the benefits of receiving treatment at a specialist 24/7 centre."
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Patient First STAR Awards 2023 |
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We launched this year's Patient First Star Awards to celebrate colleagues, teams and volunteers who have gone above and beyond, and truly encompass our Patient First ethos.
Each of this year’s award categories reflects one or more of the qualities behind the Trust’s vision and values, from kindness and compassion to innovation, commitment and exemplary standards of care on the frontline or within our support services.
We received more than 1,100 nominations from colleagues, patients and the public over a period of five weeks. Winners will be chosen by our panel of judges and announced at the glittering awards ceremony in June.
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Bigger, better chemotherapy care |
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Join staff on a tour of the Amberley Unit, our new purpose-built cancer facility that opened at Worthing Hospital in January.
The unit is home to chemotherapy and medical day services for cancer patients. It has been designed to meet current and future demands and is bigger, lighter and much airier than the Medical Day Case Unit it has replaced.
The £7 million investment is improving the quality, environment, and experience of care for cancer patients.
The extra capacity in the Amberley Unit allows more patients to be treated and receive a broader range of services in one place.
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The Louisa Martindale Building will be opening soon |
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The Louisa Martindale Building, the new multi-million-pound facility at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will open for patients in May.
Named after a pioneering local doctor and surgeon, more than 100,000 patients a year will be seen in the new building, and it will be the new main entrance for the entire hospital.
Most of the 14,000 items of equipment required in the building have been delivered and tens of thousands of clinical stock items are arriving, ready for services to move.
As part of the preparations to open, the building's external signs were put up this month. Check them out in the video below and see the building from an unusual angle.
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More than 13,600 years’ service celebrated at UHSussex |
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Several hundred colleagues from University Hospitals Sussex have been recognised for their hard work and dedication to the Trust over the years.
A total of 583 members of staff attended Long Service Award ceremonies in recent months to celebrate reaching the milestones of 20, 30, 40 and 40+ years working in our hospitals and community services.
Their combined number of years of service totals an incredible 13,677 years!
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Liver scanning clinic reduces waiting list by almost 90% |
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The fantastic efforts of the Digestive Diseases Outpatient department and Hepatology team at Royal Sussex County Hospital has seen the number of patients waiting for a crucial liver scan reduce by almost 90%, since March 2022.
With more referrals than appointments available, Mel Drayton, a Health Care Assistant from the Outpatients service played a key role in introducing and delivering weekend clinics to make sure patients could be seen quicker.
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Worthing and St Richard’s receive top cancer award |
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Worthing and St Richard’s Hospitals have both received a national award for their commitment to patients living with incurable blood cancer.
Both hospitals from the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust were presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award in recognition of their outstanding care and dedication to patients with myeloma, a blood cancer which claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year.
Staff were praised for their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life and eagerness to truly listen to their needs. The accolade, awarded by charity Myeloma UK, recognises hospitals’ commitment to raising the bar for treatment and providing compassionate and personalised care to patients.
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Sussex surgical hub praised nationally for top clinical and operational standards |
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The Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre at Princess Royal Hospital has been named as one of eight elective surgical hubs in the country to receive national recognition for the care it provides to patients.
The centre has been awarded national accreditation as part of a pilot scheme to ensure the highest standards in clinical and operational practice. The scheme assesses surgical hubs on the way they work, and the clinical care offered to patients.
Surgical hubs, which are separated from emergency services, are helping to increase capacity for elective care and reduce the time people are waiting for care and treatment. There are currently 89 surgical hubs across England.
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Maternity units earn certificate for commitment to Baby Friendly Initiative |
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St Richard’s and Worthing maternity units have been awarded a certificate of commitment in their first step towards gaining recognition from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative.
The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme aiming to transform healthcare for babies, their mothers, and families.
In the UK, the Baby Friendly Initiative works with public services to better support families with feeding their babies in ways which will support optimum health and development, and developing close, loving relationships to ensure that all babies get the best possible start in life.
The certificate of commitment recognises that a health care facility is dedicated to implementing a set of recognised best practice standards.
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Hepatitis C screening launches at Royal Sussex County Hospital’s Emergency Department |
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All patients who attend A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will now be screened for Hepatitis C when having routine blood tests, unless they choose to opt out.
The screening, which includes all patients over 16 years old, is in addition to routine HIV testing, which was introduced at the hospital’s Emergency Department in April 2022.
It is a key part of the NHS drive to end new Hepatitis C infections ahead of global targets.
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Our Trust Governors have two committees that report to the Council of Governors: The Member Engagement Committee and the Patient Experience and Engagement Committee.
The Member Engagement Committee oversees how the Trust Membership team is engaging with members and reaching new members from all parts of Sussex.
We are very keen to hear from Members about any activities or expert talks that might be of interest to you or your friends and family and thank everyone who completed tour recent survey.
If you have friends or family who would like to join us and get the benefits of membership, which include NHS Discounts, please refer them to our membership page.
The Patient Experience and Engagement Committee has taken a close interest in the Trust’s Patient Experience Strategy and its focus on customer service excellence.
Healthwatch is represented at the committee and they are collecting views to help inform our plans and training:
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Public Governor elections |
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Governors play a vital role in representing the interests and views of Trust Members and the general public. They have the opportunity to influence how strategic decisions are made and how our patient services are developed.
Public Governor election nominations are open from 31 March - 2 May for the following constituencies:
- Brighton and Hove: one vacancy, three-year term
- Mid-Sussex: one vacancy, three-year term
To be a governor, you must be a Member of the Trust and be at least 16 years old. Public members can nominate themselves for vacancies in the area they live.
Voting takes place between 25 May and 20 June. The elections are run by Civica Election Services, an independent provider of election services who administer the process on behalf of the Trust. Results will be announced in June on the UHSussex website.
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Council of Governors Meetings: MS Teams links available nearer the date |
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Thursday 18 May 2023, 14.00-17.00, Worthing HQ
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Thursday 17 Aug 2023, 14.00-17.00, Worthing HQ
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Thursday 23 Nov 2023, 14.00-17.00, Worthing HQ
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Thursday 29 Feb 2024, 14.00-17.00, Worthing HQ
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Programme of expert talks |
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We will soon be holding a series of presentations from UHSussex clinicians in their expert fields of cardiology, respiratory and diabetes, to name just a few.
The talks, open to UHSussex Members and supporters, will be a combination of face-to-face and livestream events.
We will be sharing the programme soon on our @UHSussex social platforms in the coming weeks. Our Members will receive an email directly.
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Do we have your correct contact details? We don’t want to lose you |
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We regularly review our member contacts lists. When ‘not at this address’ returns are received, members are removed from our database. If you have recently moved or have a new email address, please share the new details via the member portal or by contacting our membership team by e-mail uhsussex.governors@nhs.net or by calling 01243 831888.
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Social media highlights #UHSussex |
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Are you following UHSussex on social media? There’s so much that goes on across our hospitals but we aim to bring you daily news and updates through our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Here’s a flavour of what’s been on social media recently…..
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‘RITA’ Supports Patient Rehabilitation at UHSussex |
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An innovative digital therapy system is supporting patient rehabilitation at Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital, funded by generous donations to BSUH Charity.
Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities(RITA) is a touchscreen toolkit that enables patients to use apps, games and other leisure activities as part of their hospital recovery.
The wide range of available content – including music, films, historic news reels, puzzles, seated exercise sessions, and more – provides plenty of choice, enabling staff to personalise care as they can find activities to suit each patient’s interests, condition and mobility.
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In case you missed it....
Here’s a round-up of more news stories from across UHSussex...
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Patient feedback highlights |
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We’re proud to share with you some of the lovely feedback we have had recently. If you’ve got a positive experience of using our services you’d like to share then we’d love to hear it. Contact us at uhussex.communications@nhs.net or leave us a Google review. |
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