Environmental audits of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust (April 2019- March 2020)

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove’s 2020 Annual Environmental Audit Report summarised seven environmental audits carried out across Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals between April 2019 and January 2020. Overall, volunteers found clear improvements in hospital environments compared with previous years. All areas visited achieved scores of at least 7 out of 10, with particularly strong performance for cleanliness, organisation and the welcoming nature of wards and departments. The report noted that 129 recommendations had been made to the Trust, with at least 47% implemented by the time reporting was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Several services were highlighted as examples of good practice. Newhaven Ward was described as exceptionally clean, welcoming and well managed, while Physiotherapy, Rheumatology and Nuclear Medicine services, Digestive Diseases and Endoscopy, and parts of the Royal Sussex County Hospital received particularly positive feedback. Healthwatch also praised improvements in food quality following changes to catering arrangements, with volunteers reporting positive experiences during food tastings. Improvements to signage, patient information displays and ward organisation were also observed across much of the estate.

The main concerns related to storage, signage, maintenance and dementia-friendly design. Volunteers repeatedly identified insufficient storage space, unclear signage, maintenance issues and bathrooms that were not fully dementia friendly. They also observed occasions where patient records were left unattended and highlighted the need for better lighting and ventilation in some areas. Concerns about the ageing Barry Building remained, although Healthwatch acknowledged that many environmental improvements had already been made and that the planned redevelopment of the hospital site would address several long-standing issues.

Healthwatch concluded that Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust had made significant progress in improving ward environments and patient experience. Recommendations focused on improving storage, signage, maintenance, dementia-friendly adaptations and safe handling of patient records. The report also highlighted strong ongoing collaboration between Healthwatch and the Trust, including regular audits, food tastings and participation in the national PLACE programme, as important drivers of continued improvement.