People invited to have say on plans to improve mental health services in East Sussex

30 June 2021

People in East Sussex are invited to two online public meetings to have their say on proposals by the local NHS to move mental health inpatient services in Eastbourne to new facilities on a different site in the county.

The two meetings form part of a public consultation on the proposals which is taking place for a 12 week period from Monday 14 June to Monday 6 September.

They will take place on:

  • Thursday 15 July between 6pm and 8pm, and
  • Saturday 24 July between 10am and 12 noon.

To book a place, just visit www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/get-involved/mh-eastsussex for all the details.

The proposal by NHS East Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (Sussex Partnership) is to move mental health inpatient services, currently based at the Department of Psychiatry in Eastbourne District General Hospital, to new facilities to be built on a different site.

These services could be relocated to a greenfield site next to Mount View Street, North East Bexhill, Bexhill-on-Sea, or a site around Amberstone Hospital, near Hailsham. The Bexhill site is the preferred option.

If approved, this would be the first phase towards a potential long-term vision to create a leading centre for a range of mental health services on a single ‘campus’, which could, over time, address all mental health inpatient needs in East Sussex.

Sussex Commissioners Clinical Lead for Mental Health. Dr Paul Deffley, said: “We have developed these proposals to make sure we lead the way in providing the best mental health care and support possible for local people.

“They not only address the immediate challenges we have with the facilities at the Department of Psychiatry but are also the first stage towards achieving our long-term vision to meet the needs of our patients for many years to come. We encourage as many interested people as possible to attend these public meetings and let us know what they think of the proposals.”

These online events are part of a wider range of engagement activity - and options for face-to-face opportunities are being considered to anticipate the lifting of remaining Government COVID restrictions.

People who cannot attend the online public meetings can still give their feedback on the consultation in a number of ways. All the details can be found at www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/mh-eastsussex.

Further information is available by contacting the consultation team:

Email: esxccg.eastsussex.mh@nhs.net

Dedicated telephone line on 0300 304 0330 (local rates apply)

Write to: FREEPOST SS1018, PO Box 530, Swansea SA1 1ZL