Outstanding rating for Western Sussex Hospitals

Western Sussex Hospitals has become the first non-specialist acute trust in the country to be rated ‘Outstanding’ in all the key inspection areas assessed by the Care Quality Commission.

The watchdog awarded the highest possible rating for services at Worthing Hospital, St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and Southlands in Shoreham-by- Sea, determining that services at the trust are safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led and resourced properly – with each category receiving an ‘Outstanding’ rating. This improves upon the trust’s first ‘Outstanding’ rating from four years ago.

Dame Marianne Griffiths, chief executive of the trust, said: “Our staff and volunteers are phenomenal and I am absolutely thrilled the CQC has recognised this by establishing Western Sussex Hospitals as the first non-specialist acute hospital trust to receive a clean sweep of ‘Outstanding’ awards.

“For staff to surpass the ‘Outstanding’ results we achieved from our last inspection four years ago is remarkable in its own right – but to do so in the context of us now seeing 55 more people in A&E every day, 4,200 more people in Outpatients every month, and 5,000 more inpatients each year, is frankly heroic. Every time I say I could not be more proud of our people, they go and do it again! Western Sussex Hospitals is a truly special place to work and I have the best job in the world.”