Report to:

East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC)

 

Date of meeting:

 

23 September 2021

By:

Assistant Chief Executive

 

Title:

Redesigning Inpatient Mental Health Services in East Sussex

 

Purpose:

To consider the HOSC Review Board’s draft report on NHS proposals to move mental health inpatient services, which are currently provided at the Department of Psychiatry in Eastbourne District General Hospital, to new facilities to be built on a different site at either Bexhill or Hailsham.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee is recommended to:

1)    endorse the draft report and recommendations of the HOSC Review Board attached as Appendix 1;

2)    agree that the Review Board finalises the report after considering the outcome of the public consultation; and

3)    agree to refer the final report to East Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group for consideration as part of its decision making process.

1.            Background

1.1.        On 10th June 2021 the HOSC considered a report by the East Sussex Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) in partnership with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT) on the proposal to move mental health inpatient services from the Department of Psychiatry to new facilities to be built on a different site at either Bexhill or Hailsham.  

1.2.        The Department of Psychiatry is located at the Eastbourne District General Hospital and contains three wards with a total of 54 beds of which 40 are dormitory beds. Two of the wards are dormitory wards with 18 beds each and the other is a mixture of four dormitory beds and 14 single bedrooms with shared bathrooms.

1.3.        The Government announced £400m of funding in October 2020 for the eradication of dormitory wards. SPFT, supported by the CCG, successfully applied for funding of £46.67m to replace the Department of Psychiatry by March 2024 with a new facility containing 54 single ensuite bedrooms.

1.4.        Following an options appraisal of a number of potential sites, the CCG and Trust agreed to consult on two possible sites for the new facility: a greenfield site off Mount View Street, North East Bexhill-on-Sea; or Amberstone Hospital, near Hailsham. Bexhill is the CCG and Trust’s preferred option.

1.5.        The Committee resolved that the proposals constituted a ‘substantial development or variation to services’ requiring formal consultation by the CCG with HOSC in accordance with health scrutiny legislation.

1.6.        HOSC established a Review Board to consider the evidence in relation to the proposed closure and replacement of the Department of Psychiatry and prepare a report and any recommendations as the Committee’s response to the consultation. The Board comprised Cllrs Belsey, Mrs Barnes, Robinson and Turner, and Jennifer Twist; the Review Board elected Cllr Belsey as the Chair.

1.7.        The Review Board considered a wide range of written and oral evidence from NHS and other witnesses and agreed a draft report and recommendations, which is included as Appendix 1 to this report.

1.8.        Due to the timings of the HOSC meetings, the analysis of the separate public consultation by the CCG has not been completed ahead of this HOSC meeting, although some initial insights were provided to the Board. It is recommended, therefore, that HOSC agrees that the Review Board finalises the report having considered the outcome of the public consultation when this is available.

 

2.            Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

2.1       HOSC is recommended to endorse the Review Board’s draft report; agree that the Review Board finalises the report after considering the outcome of the public consultation; and agree to refer it to the East Sussex CCG for consideration as part of its decision making process.

 

PHILIP BAKER
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact Officer: Harvey Winder, Democratic Services Officer
Tel. No. 01273 481796
Email: Harvey.winder@eastsussex.gov.uk