Patients were warned to stay away from the main hospital in Brighton except for life-threatening emergencies this evening (Sunday 14 January).
The Royal Sussex County Hospital declared a “critical incident” after significant problems with its computers systems and phones, with NHS chiefs turning away ambulances.
University Hospitals Sussex said: “We have declared a critical incident this evening after both the Royal Sussex County and Princess Royal hospitals were significantly affected by problems with IT and phone systems.
“This means that ambulances are being diverted and patients will be taken by the ambulance service to alternative hospitals to meet their needs.
“Please do not attend our emergency departments unless it is a lifesaving emergency.
“Patients are being strongly advised to consider alternatives to these services apart from lifesaving emergencies.
“For any urgent health support, please use NHS 111 online or by phone to receive advice and direction to the most appropriate service.”
The NHS trust gave out two phone numbers for maternity patients, saying: “If you need to contact our maternity units, please use the following numbers
- Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton 07917 751742
- Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath 07436 040094
“It will mean that anyone trying to contact the hospital by phone to reach a loved one or ward team will not be able to reach the two hospitals at this time.
“St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and Worthing Hospital are also affected to a lesser degree but are working to support the Royal Sussex County and Princess Royal hospitals and so are under considerable pressure as a result.
“Declaring a critical incident allows staff to focus on the needs of their patients and for the trust to seek support from local partners.
“The disruption is widespread and frontline teams are affected.
“Bringing IT systems back to normal is a priority and teams are working to do that this evening.
“We will update everyone further in due course.”
At 11.30pm the trust said: “Progress has been made in restoring IT systems since the update earlier this evening.
“Colleagues continue to work tirelessly to ensure systems are back up and running and stable.
“We have been given invaluable support from the South East Coast Ambulance Service, other NHS trusts and partners. Thank you to everyone involved.
“Please be aware that this is still an ongoing issue, despite the improved situation.
“Anyone who does not need an emergency department should visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 for help or advice.”
Allegedly the new Royal Sussex hospital was signed off and opened last summer before it was ready, in which case nothing which goes wrong is a surprise and the HSE need to have inspectors all over it. Added to which the cost of construction grew from £485 million to £700m over the course of the build, an undersized and shoddy helicopter pad was put on the roof and there is currently a police investigation into 40 unexplained deaths at the hospital. We were also promised the new hospital would have over 800 parking spaces, but only a fraction of that parking appears to be available for use. The project chiefs have some explaining to do.
GB, nothing works and no one cares and when it does work no one knows why
Not surprised this hospitals management is horrendous!
RSCH A&E has been a disaster for very many years. Around 18 years ago I was taken there by ambulance for an emergency (fortunately not at all life-threatening but very bloody, and the excellent ambulance people couldn’t sort it so took me there). When I eventually got to see a doctor I was accused of sniffing cocaine because he was grossly overworked and bolshie. ( I wasn’t sniffing anything for the record) and just got left and shoved around covered in blood for many hours. No attention of any kind was forthcoming until a friend who was an experienced nurse came down there and started kicking them around. I then got shipped off to PRH for a night and that was another experience I wouldn’t wish to repeat.
We all know the issues there have been at RSCH A&E for ages (i.e. nowhere near fit for purpose) and yet it is only now that the people in charge of the ongoing RSCH debacle announce that they’re going to build a brand new A&E. This should have been one of the first things to be done, not an afterthought following the big glamour stuff. which doesn’t seem to have been properly completed.
So, to read that this critical incident all seems to be down to some kind of IT and/or phone issues absolutely defies belief. NHS IT is a joke and has been for years and the sooner that there’s a total clear-out of the bosses currently ‘running’ the RSCH the better. We need the drafting-in of people who actually know what they’re doing and how to run something efficiently, whether that be a hospital complex or anything else. However, the perceived wisdom from the NHS seems to be that the big bosses must fundamentally be doctors or senior nurses. Not true. They need to be efficient and tough administrators who consult senior doctors and nurses but have the talent and nous to get things done properly.
Yes but it is named after Mary Seacole so it must be good innit ?
Is the Helicopter pad open yet ?
Elicopter pad can’t be used.
I was there during the build of the Luisa Martindale site and I can’t tell you sick to my stomach I was while watching the waste of money, the mistakes which in turn costed more money and the amount of materials and equipment leaving from the backdoor.
An utter disgrace.
And 40k for a reception desk resembling a toilet seat it’s not money well spent in my opinion.
Some clever person should have move the whole shooting match out of the city centre BEFORE the children’s hospital was shoehorned onto the site.
Sale of this prime residential / business area would have paid for a centre of excellence for all our medical needs going forward.
Why is planning so very bad in our city, never delivering what was dreamt of or what is needed?
And yes the reception desk in the Martindale building is an absolute joke. £4000 would have been a waste but £40,000 is obscene and indefensible