Date Published: 8 June 2010

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust improves cleanliness and infection control, according to regulator

Today the Care Quality Commission (CQC), regulator of health and adult social care in England, has announced that Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has made necessary improvements to cleanliness and infection control.

CQC ordered improvements to be made after a series of inspections found the trust was not meeting the essential standards for registration. Under its tough new registration system, CQC had given the trust a licence to provide services only on the condition that it made improvements by 1 April.

CQC’s latest inspection on 7 April found the trust had addressed the concerns. It said there was evidence of good cleaning practices, with the necessary audits and controls in place to minimise risks to patients of getting a healthcare-associated infection.

CQC said it would now lift the conditions it had placed on the trust’s licence.

Since 1 April this year, all 378 NHS trusts who provide services in England are required to be registered with CQC. To be registered, trusts had to show they met new essential standards of quality and safety, which CQC will constantly monitor.

Surrey and Sussex was one of the 22 trusts whose registration was conditional on action being taken to address concerns about the safety and quality of care. CQC set out the action required at each trust with strict deadlines for improvements.

Roxy Boyce, CQC's regional director, said:

“ We are satisfied that the trust has now addressed our concerns about cleanliness and infection control. It must maintain these standards, for every patient, at all times.

As part of our tough new registration system, we will continually monitor all trusts. Patients should be able to go to any healthcare services and expect that essential standards of quality and safety are in place."

About the CareQuality Commission: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care in England. The CareQuality Commission inspects health and adult social care services in England, whether they're provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations. It also protects the interests of people detained under the Mental Health Act. (Until 31 March 2009, this work was carried out by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.)

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