Improvements 'Need To Be Seen By End Of March'

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has urged the East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust to improve its standards following inspections carried out last month.

According to The Argus, the watchdog has called on the Trust to take steps to boost the quality of services available in a range of wards at both Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital, St Leonards.

The CQC has stated that improvements need to be seen in issues, including the number of available staff at any given time, by the end of March. A full report into standards is set to be released to the public at the start of April.

Auriana Griffiths, a Medical Law and Patients’ Rights specialist who deals with clinical negligence claims at Irwin Mitchell’s London office, said standards have to be improved as soon as possible.

She outlined: “It is disappointing to see that inspections have flagged major concerns over the quality of care available at the two hospitals in question.

“We have represented a number of clients who have suffered as a result of substandard care and have seen just how devastating the effect of treatment failures can be.

“I hope that changes can be made to processes that will ensure no one treated at either site faces such problems and also that lessons can be learnt which will mean further issues are avoided in the future.”