Sussex NHS trust to 'temporarily suspend dementia assessments' – reports

The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services to people living in south east England. Its services are for children, young people, adults of working age and older people. The trust provides care in a range of locations including people’s own homes, specialist clinics, hospitals, low and-medium secure units and GP surgeries.

Last week, Sussex World was told by a trusted source that dementia-assessment services would not be provided by the trust from January to March 2024 because of a ‘financial deficit’.

The trust provides care at facilities across Sussex – Highdown in Worthing; Swandean in Worthing; Chapel Street in Chichester; the Bedale Centre in Bognor; Pepperville House in Littlehampton; Crawley Hospital; New Park House in Horsham; Linwood in Haywards Heath and Uckfield Hospital.

Sussex World understands the trust is planning to temporarily pause dementia assessment services as it, like the rest of the NHS, prepares for additional winter pressures, and this may see dementia-services staff temporarily redeployed rather than costly agency staff used. It is also understood the trust will continue to be open for referrals and will continue to see people being treated.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “Work’s underway across the NHS in Sussex to maintain emergency and urgent care services, with patient safety being our top priority. To manage resources effectively, as we approach the busy Christmas and New Year period, some of our services will be temporarily reduced or changed to allow staff to be redeployed to other services so they can remain safe and be of the highest quality for our patients. We in the process of developing plans and engaging with our staff.”