Plans to increase access to primary care services, reduce waiting lists and improve 999 response times have been set out in NHS Sussex’s latest five-year strategy.
The ‘Improving Lives Together’ strategy sets out the operational and strategic priorities for improving health and care services in Sussex.
The operational priorities are:
- Increasing access to and reducing variability in primary care services
- Improving response times to 999 calls and reducing A&E waiting times
- Reducing diagnostic and planned operation or procedure care waiting lists
- Accelerating patient flow through the system and discharge from hospitals
Improving Lives Together
The strategy was launched as increasing pressure is being placed on the service from a growing and ageing population, the need to reduce the waiting lists for planned operations and procedures, and staff shortages.
Longer term, the strategy will focus on:
- Building integrated community teams and local partnerships across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex to allow services and organisations to work in a joined-up way to better meet the needs of each local community
- Growing and supporting Sussex’s health and care workforce – to attract more people to work in health and care, as well as supporting and developing the skills or careers of our existing staff
- Improving the use of digital technology and information – to help join up our services and enable people to access advice or care more easily