Mental health trust for Brighton and Hove reaches crisis

The mental health trust serving Brighton and Hove has declared a crisis.

A shortage of beds has led to NHS patients being sent to private providers by Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust.

From Friday (30 January) Sussex Partnership bosses were meeting daily in Hove to manage the current crisis.

One insider said: “It’s the mental health Trust equivalent of declaring a major incident.”

The trust’s four divisions were operating with a “gold commander” from Aldrington House, in New Church Road, Hove, after Sussex Partnership moved to “business continuity status”.

The trust spoke about “urgent acute bed pressures” in an email to its Leadership Forum at the end of last week.

It said that more than 20 patients across Sussex were being treated privately at NHS expense – and that this was financially unsustainable.

The email – from managing director Lorraine Reid, clinical director Shakil Malik and medical director Tim Ojo – said: “Dear Colleagues, As you will no doubt be aware the trust is currently experiencing significant sustained pressures on our acute services across all of Sussex, with a current total of over 20 ECR (extra contractual referral) beds, with patients being placed in private sector beds across the country.

“These arrangements clearly impact on our patients and their carers by being away from family, friends, their care team and local services.

“There is also a financial impact on the trust which is unsustainable.

“The decision has been taken to move to a formal business continuity status, which came into action yesterday (Thursday 29 January).

“Business continuity means that we galvanise all resources within adult services to ensure that our priority is maintaining safe and secure services by returning all patients to be treated within our services.

“To support this work, all four divisions will operate a gold command process whereby the service director will lead, co-ordinate and support the delivery of all actions necessary to return services to business as usual.

“Actions across the trust will be co-ordinated from a central point in adult services at Aldrington House.

“A business continuity plan will be in place today that will detail all actions and a daily communication call will take place across the four divisions.

“We are sure that you are fully aware of the gravity of the situation and we know that we can all work together to harness the support and activity to help improve the situation and reduce the pressure placed on our acute beds.

“The business continuity status will remain in place until assurance is achieved around the acute bed pressures.

“We appreciate your ongoing support and co-operation with the situation.”

In the past two years the trust has closed beds in Hove, saying that they were no longer needed, despite opposition from Hangleton and Knoll councillor Dawn Barnett.

Councillor Barnett, a former carer, did not believe that there were enough community nurses in place to deal with demand.

Lorraine Reid, managing director of adult services for Sussex Partnership, said: “Across the country the NHS is experiencing high levels of demand, both in physical and mental health.

“This affects the whole NHS system including mental health trusts like us.

“This is not just about beds but about a high level of demand throughout the system and January often sees a spike in physical and mental illness, both of which overlap.

“Our systems allow us to step up the amount of support and resources for services when demand becomes higher than usual, that is what we did at the end of last week.

“Everyone will get the treatment they need, whether that is in a hospital or elsewhere.

“Our staff are working extremely hard to deal with these pressures and will continue to do so.”