Speaking after the rating was announced, Sam Allen, Sussex Partnership's Chief Executive, said: “I am proud the CQC has noted the compassion and kindness of our staff and the efforts they make to involve patients and families in decisions about their care. The fact the CQC heard from patients and families about feeling respected and valued is both heartening and testament to the commitment of our staff. At a time when health and care services are facing significant, sustained pressure, it is so important to recognise people for the important, valuable work they do every day on behalf of the patients, families and local communities we serve.
"We know we have more to do, in partnership with others, to continue improving services for patients and families."
Chair Peter Molyneux said: “Our approach to being inspected by the CQC is to use it as an opportunity to receive independent, impartial and expert feedback to help us continue improving services. I’m particularly pleased the CQC noted the sustained improvement to organisational culture at Sussex Partnership and how this encourages openness and learning. We are committed to creating the kind of culture that promotes staff wellbeing and supports the delivery of compassionate, high quality care.”
The CQC's Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (and lead for mental health), Dr Paul Lelliott, said: “Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has taken the findings of our previous inspection and worked to drive improvement. We found that the Trust Board and senior leadership team has established clear vision and values at the heart of the organisation and continues to work hard to make sure staff understand how this relates to their daily roles.
"During this inspection we have found examples of good practice in all core services we inspected. In particular we have seen a significant improvement in the quality of care. Services are more flexible and highly personalised to meet patients' individual needs. I congratulate all concerned on the positive changes made."
