Press release: Healthwatch’s response to the CQC report on gastrointestinal surgery at Royal Sussex County Hospital
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, who are responsible for services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, have already acted on the report’s findings, recruiting more staff and undertaking an internal review. The gastrointestinal surgical unit remains closed, and between 30-40 patients who have required surgery have been offered this at other sites.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued a report requiring improvements in upper gastrointestinal services surgery after an unannounced focused inspection of surgical services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) in August 2022.
The inspection was prompted by concerns they had received about the safety and quality of the upper gastrointestinal services surgery at the Hospital. The inspection was also to follow up on the progress of improvements that CQC previously told the trust to make in surgical services more widely, when they were issued with a warning notice and urgent conditions were imposed on them to ensure these were done rapidly. As a result of their visit CQC took urgent action to suspend the activity of planned upper gastrointestinal surgery at the RSCH site.
The CQC report has been several months after the unannounced visit and during that time University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx) have informed Healthwatch that they have taken action, including:
- The recruitment of a new specialist surgeon to bring staffing into line with recommended levels
- A reorganisation of nursing activity to increase specialist care time for patients.
- A commissioned external review
- A project examining staff culture and relationships.
The CQC report references mortality rates which it states are higher than the national average. UHSx have also advised that this relates to 2016-2019 data and only to Oesophago-Gastric Cancer. UHSx has confirmed that mortality rates for gastrointestinal services at RSCH are within national ranges.
David Liley, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, said:
“This latest report by CQC is disappointing for our Trust, its staff and patients across Sussex. Certain references, however, appear misleading, for example, where mortality rates are said to be higher than the national average, this is only for upper gastrointestinal services, not across the entire Trust, and numbers are within expected ranges. This is an important distinction to make.
"Other recent CQC reports have also found failings in the emergency department and maternity services at RSCH. Our local hospitals and Trust are clearly dealing with the unprecedented fallout from the COVID pandemic, but basic requirements, such as patient safety (identified by CQC as a concern), cannot be ignored. Healthwatch urges the Trust management to take further action in this area and ensure that the surgical unit is able to reopen as soon as possible so that patients do not have to travel further afield for operations.
"What is clear to Healthwatch is that University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust have acted immediately upon the CQC findings by recruiting more staff and reviewing staff culture and internal processes. All 30-40 patients affected by the closure of gastrointestinal services at RSCH have been offered surgery at other sites. The Trust has also begun a wide-ranging review of general surgery services. Patients should be reassured, as the CQC report also observed nursing staff providing consistent, safe, dignified care.
"Healthwatch stands ready to support our Trust as it recovers from the pandemic and to provide them with your feedback and experiences to help further improve care."
CQC reports
Upper gastrointestinal service - December 2022
Maternity (inpatient services) - July 2022
Urgent and emergency services - July 2022
Maternity - December 2021
Surgery - December 2021
Press Queries - Brighton and Hove
David Liley
david@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk
07931 755343
Broadcast media: our spokesperson will be available for pre-recorded interviews either down-the-line, for radio or for television via online platforms. Should broadcasters wish to have a representative in a studio Healthwatch will try to accommodate such requests and expects interviews to be conducted in accordance with Government COVID-19 guidelines.
office@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk
