Sussex mental health services subject to 'drastic cuts' amid plans for single rehabilitation service

Sussex World was told that a proposal – by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – would see jobs cuts at three rehabilitation teams across the trust, as well as the closure of ‘at least one rehabilitation home’.

An email to this newspaper read: “It has become apparent that proposed drastic cuts to our mental health services in Worthing are currently under consultation.

"This means that many employees will lose their jobs or be deployed."

Sussex World understands that the trust is proposing to repurpose Shepherd House Community Hospital in Worthing as supported housing within the next two years.

We also understand that the staff consultation refers to repurposing Rutland Gardens in Hove as supported housing with clinical in-reach to better support the need of adults with long-term mental health needs and reconfiguring our community rehabilitation services.

This would involve merging the existing rehabilitation teams into a single rehabilitation service to achieve a consistent approach for Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex.

Both components are working towards different timescales between early 2025 to the spring, it is understood.

The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said its priority is to ensure ‘we deliver consistent, safe, quality care that meets the needs of our local community, using available resources’.

They added: “We are currently consulting with staff about some proposed changes to our mental health in-patient and community rehabilitation services to better meet the needs of patients.

"We will be listening to and taking onboard the feedback we receive.”

This statement comes after reports that nurses, social workers and administrative staff will have to be re-interviewed for their jobs with those not keeping their roles going onto a 'redeployment register'. We are told there is no indication of how this register will work or whether there are any guarantees of redeployment.

There are also safety concerns over fewer nursing staff meaning more patients per nurse.