The Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust was established on the 1st April 2002. The primary purpose of the Trust is:

" to provide fast, convenient and clinically effective hospital based care to meet the needs of the people of the City of Brighton and Hove, Mid Sussex and Ouse Valley and, for specialist services, a wider population".

Background

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust and Mid Sussex NHS Trust have a long history of working well together across a number of medical and surgical departments.

The Central Sussex Review (CSR) examined hospital services provided within the area during 1999. The review concluded that Brighton Health Care NHS Trust and Mid Sussex NHS Trust could provide better services to the wider catchment population if they worked more closely together. It was promulgated that this joint work would also allow Clinicians to work collaboratively to provide services rather than each trying to retain enough expertise independently.

The two organisations have since been working together to plan for the future provision of integrated services necessary to secure safe, sustainable and accessible acute health care services for the local residents and to maximise the effectiveness of service delivery in line with modern health care, national policy and local circumstances.

In February 2001, it was further agreed that the existing Trusts should be replaced by a single Trust to manage all services jointly. This recommendation was approved by the Secretary of State for Health in January 2002, following a 3 month period of public consultation.

The Area

The catchment area of the new Trust includes residents of the City of Brighton and Hove, the Ouse Valley and Mid Sussex.

The City of Brighton and Hove is a busy commercial and industrial centre, as well as being a popular holiday resort. It also has a strong academic presence with two universities: Sussex and Brighton. Inland to the city the district is predominately rural and contains the South Downs countryside, and Lewes, the county capital. Mid Sussex stretches north and includes the towns of Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint and associated villages and rural areas.

Facts and Figures

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust will provide district general hospital services to the local population of some 460,000. It will also provide a range of specialist services including cancer services, Neurosciences, cardiac surgery, renal services and Intensive Care for adults, children and new-born babies, to a population of approximately 1,000,000.

Collectively we will have 5 hospitals within the Trust with a total of 1,140 in-patient beds:-

• Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
• Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children, Brighton
• Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton
• Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
• Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre, Haywards Heath
• And parts of Brighton General Hospital

Some services are also provided from Brighton General Hospital and Lewes Victoria Hospital under agreement with South Downs Health NHS Trust. In addition, the Trust will continue to provide a range of medical and surgical services from a number of satellite units.

Discussions with local PCT's/PCGs are still continuing. However, it is anticipated that the Trust will receive approximately £200 million income during its first year of operation. This will enable it to see a planned 317,500 people on an out-patient basis and treat 82,100 people as an in-patient (excluding specialised services).

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust will also be a very large public sector employer, employing some 4,000 staff.

Source = Trust Web-site