NHS Pressures at the Royal Sussex

On Wednesday, I met with the Chief Executive of the local NHS Trust (UH Sussex) and staff at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, which is in the heart of Kemptown in my constituency. What I saw was a workforce performing incredibly under huge and constant pressure.

There has been real progress in our NHS. Waiting lists are falling faster at UH Sussex than anywhere else in the country – down by 16% this year. The new Government has also met its target to deliver 2 million more appointments across the NHS. This will make a huge difference to the millions of people waiting for care, and comes alongside record NHS investment. But let’s be honest – our waiting lists are still far too high, and too many people are waiting too long for treatment.

I’m also very concerned about the huge strain on A&E at the Royal Sussex. Seeing it first-hand, it was clear how much pressure staff are under, with corridors crowded, cubicles beyond capacity and the buildings in urgent need of an upgrade. The staff are performing miracles, but it’s an incredibly difficult situation that frankly lets down patients, staff and the local community.

One of the biggest problems I saw is that so people are now queuing to get out of hospital, as well as to get in. Around 25% of hospital beds at the Sussex are filled by patients who no longer need to be there but can’t be discharged due to a lack of adequate social care support, community beds or mental health services. It’s clear that if we’re ever going to relieve the pressure on frontline hospitals like the Sussex, we must tackle these blockages. That means changing how the NHS delivers care – pushing services out into the community and tackling the crises in social care and mental health. This is, of course, a huge task and one I’ll work with the Trust and the Government to deliver.

Supporting the Sussex Cancer Fund

I also met this week with the Sussex Cancer Fund. Having recently seen my dad undergo treatment at the Royal Sussex cancer centre, I’ve seen first-hand the incredible work that NHS staff, Macmillan nurses and the Sussex Cancer Fund do.

The Fund supports cancer services at the Sussex by providing specialist equipment, patient support, and funding grounding-breaking research. They’re working hard to expand their support, and with the second phase of the new cancer centre at the Sussex due to start next year (fingers crossed!) there’s now a real opportunity to dramatically improve cancer care for patients in Brighton and across Sussex. The Cancer Fund is an amazing charity, and I’ll do all I can to support them in achieving that goal.

The Community Pharmacy Crisis

I also visited Dervis Gurol, superintendent pharmacist and owner of Healthy-U Pharmacy in Lustrells Vale, Saltdean. Pharmacies like this are the beating heart of our healthcare system, providing essential local services and picking up the slack from overstretched GP surgeries. Dervis – and many brilliant pharmacists like him – are also trusted points of care for thousands of local residents. Without them, I dread to think what our local healthcare would look like it.

But community pharmacies like Dervis’ are under huge pressure. Demand has skyrocketed –  in part due to the shortage of local GP appointments – yet pharmacies big and small are closing at an alarming rate.

It’s clear that the current financial model for community pharmacies is not sustainable. The cost of buying medicines has risen by up to 60% in recent years, yet because the last government failed to deliver a new pharmacy contract, the funding they receive has fallen. Many pharmacists are now having to turn away patients because they can’t justify the cost of stocking certain drugs. Some are being forced to cut opening hours or stop home deliveries just to stay afloat. Others are seeing their business model crack under the pressure. As Dervis put it to me: the harder I work, the more money I lose.

Pharmacies are a lifeline for many people in Saltdean and across Sussex – especially older residents and those with long-term health conditions. We can’t afford to lose them. I will be raising this issue in Parliament and speaking with the Department of Health to push for urgent action.

Meeting Residents in the Marina

This week, I held a “pop-up” surgery at the ASDA in Brighton Marina. My priority as your MP is to be as accessible as possible, and these pop-up sessions are a great opportunity to meet residents, hear concerns, and take action on the issues that matter most to you. A huge range of topics were raised – from NHS pressures to anti-social behaviour and support for children with special educational needs. I’ll be holding more of these across the constituency in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for announcements. And as always, if there’s anything I can help with, you can get in touch at chris.ward.mp@parliament.uk.