Surrey and Sussex rated as Outstanding by CQC

Patient care at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has been rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission and awarded the highest rating given by the independent health regulator.

The Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Edward Baker, highlighted how the trust is rated Outstanding for being caring, responsive and well-led and Good for being safe and effective having visited the East Surrey Hospital in November 2018 to check the quality of five core services: surgery, medical care, maternity services, urgent and emergency care and outpatients.

Positive comments from the CQC inspectors’ report include: patients being ‘unwavering in their praise’ about the ward-based staff of all grades for ‘going the extra mile’; staff involving patients and those close to them in decisions about their care and treatment; staff feeling well supported, valued and that that their opinions counted; alongside unmistakeable evidence of sustained improvement.

They also noted that the trust had a very clear strategy, vision and values, which ‘underpinned an exceptional culture which placed patients at the heart of all they did’.

Michael Wilson, chief executive of the trust, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that all the hard work and commitment of everyone at SASH to making patient care the best it can be has been recognised and rated as Outstanding. Every day our people care for thousands of patients and I am so proud that their fantastic commitment and hard work has been recognised.”

Baker, said: “In May 2014, our inspectors found Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust was providing services that were rated Good overall – but with some areas for improvement particularly in outpatient services. I am delighted to report that Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has built on those findings - not just in those areas where improvements were required, but in all areas.

“The trust’s determination to develop a culture of continuous improvement has improved services for patients across the board – enough to ensure that the overall rating has moved to Outstanding. Staff spoke positively about the patient journey and the striving for continual improvement. This was especially clear in medical care and maternity which we rated overall as Outstanding and surgery which we rated as Outstanding for both caring and well led, with staff working effectively as a team in a coordinated way for the patients’ best interests  The hard work makes a real difference to the lives of people using the services, Everyone who has played a part in this should be proud of this great achievement.”