A HOSPITAL’S accident and emergency department has been told it “requires improvement” after a formal inspection.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton was downgraded by the Care Quality Commission after a report found that not all staff had completed all mandated training in key and essential skills, with patients frequently accommodated in non-clinical areas.

The report also added that the needs of patients with mental health conditions and said they were “accommodated for lengthy periods of time in an environment that did not fully meet their needs and by staff who may not have the skills to care for the patient”.

The CQC also said poor patient flow throughout the hospital led to delays in ambulance handovers.

However, the report also said staff at the hospital provided safe emergency care and treatment and worked well together for the benefit of patients.

It also said patients were treated with “compassion and kindness” and were helped by staff to understand their conditions.

David Liley, chief executive of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, said the independent body had raised concerns with the CQC after patients and hospital staff reported A&E services as being busy and crowded and left them feeling unsafe.

He said: “We are pleased that the recent CQC inspection found some improvements, but A&E, maternity and surgery are all now rated as inadequate or requires improvement.

“This is a disappointing development for local people and staff, overworked and exhausted from their great efforts over the Covid period.”

In feedback from patients, Healthwatch raised concerns over a lack of privacy in triage rooms and in corridors, concerns about overcrowding, patients not being offered drinks for several hours, and sometimes unwelcoming attitudes from non-medical staff. 

The organisation has called on the NHS Trust to “urgently address the concerns of the CQC and help people regain confidence in those services” that have been graded poorly.