East Sussex CCG and Sussex Partnership have just started a 12-week consultation about mental health inpatient beds in East Sussex.
As part of a longer term plan, they are consulting on moving the Department of Psychiatry at Eastbourne Hospital to either Bexhill (preferred site) or Amberstone in Hailsham. The longer term vision is to move all inpatient services to one campus style site in order to provide integrated and joined up care.
Further information and a digital consultation document can be viewed online.
People can give feedback on the consultation in a number of ways:
The team would be pleased to attend any community groups meeting face to face or online to talk about the plans.
Online questionnaire
Via an online questionnaire: please take time to read the consultation document before completing the questionnaire as it will provide you with the details of our proposals. It can be found in the useful documents section on the right side of the following page: yoursaysussexhealthandcare.uk.engagementhq.com/ris-es.
Printed questionnaire
Simply fill in the questionnaire included in the consultation document and post it using the freepost envelope provided. To request a copy of the document you can email your name and address to esxccg.eastsussex.mh@nhs.net or call 0300 304 0330. The questionnaire will be available in community languages and British Sign Language (BSL) and will be shared through interpreting service.
Online and face-to-face engagement events
Opinion Research Services (ORS) will be supporting East Sussex CCG and Sussex Partnership by undertaking some in-depth research with stakeholders, to complement the wider engagement. These will include three in-depth focus groups for mental health services users, and carers and family members of services users.
The focus groups* will be taking place online via Zoom during the week of Monday 12 July to Friday 16 July.
If you interested in taking part in one of these focus groups, please get in touch with ORS directly by emailing kara.stedman@ors.org.uk.
*Please note that spaces at the focus groups will be limited, and a diverse group of people is being sought for each group, and to involve people from across the whole of East Sussex. This means that not everybody who expresses and interest in taking part in the focus groups will be able to.
Invite a member of the programme team to your group
By taking part in existing support groups or community meetings to which the Programme Team have been invited to present information and hear feedback about the consultation. If you are involved in a group with members who are interested in inpatient mental health services in East Sussex, and would like someone from the programme team to attend, please contact esxccg.eastsussex.mh@nhs.net or 0300 304 0330 to discuss options.
Deaf BSL Users
Deaf BSL users can share their views by using the free SignLive app that connects them to a qualified British Sign Language interpreter. More information about the SignLive service and when it is available can be found at www.eastsussexccg.nhs.uk/contact-us.