NHS South East Coast – the strategic health authority for Kent, Surrey and Sussex, gave its approval on Tuesday (29 March) for the integration of East Sussex Community Health Services and East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust.
The decision by the strategic health authority’s Board will result in the formation of a new organisation called East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which will manage both hospital care and community health services in East Sussex from 1st April 2011.
The integration will improve the continuity and quality of care for patients across East Sussex.
Darren Grayson, Chief Executive of East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “This integration is not just about putting community and acute services together, it presents us with a great opportunity to look at the way we work and improve the continuity and quality of care for local patients. I am determined that everything the new organisation does will be structured around the patient and improving their outcomes and experience, and I am confident that we will be able to achieve this.”
On the Board’s approval of the integration, Candy Morris, Chief Executive, NHS South East Coast said: “After much discussion and careful assurance, East Sussex Hospitals Trust was identified as the preferred partner for East Sussex Community Health Services.
“Creating this new integrated healthcare organisation dedicated specifically to meeting the needs of local residents, will help ensure patients experience a smooth transition between primary care, hospital treatment and support services in the community.
“This is the sort of transformation in services our vision for health and care ‘Healthier people, excellent care’ and the government’s reforms are trying to achieve, and this is just one part of the on-going development of services for the people in East Sussex.”
