More nurses and healthcare assistants are to be hired for the A&E departments at two hospitals.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has announced it will put in an extra £1.6 million for the Conquest in St Leonards and Eastbourne District General Hospital for emergency care.

The investment follows a Care Quality Commission report in 2015 which highlighted concerns over the lack of staff available for their emergency services.

Vikki Carruth, director of nursing at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We twice yearly review our nursing establishment to ensure we continue to provide high quality safe care to the people of East Sussex.

“Our latest detailed review has identified a need for more nurses and healthcare assistants along with a significant investment in nursing in our A&E departments.

“The trust board has agreed to fund this increase in nursing establishment and a £1.6 million investment in emergency care nursing.”

In 2015, CQC inspectors placed the trust under special measures over safety concerns including lack of A&E staff.

Of particular concern were maternity services, surgery and accident and emergency care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging.

Following an inspection in 2017, the trust was considered still not good enough and remained under special measures.

The CQC said the care provided at the two hospitals was good but required improvement when it came to safety, effectiveness, leadership and responsiveness.

The team still singled out A&E services at both hospitals as inadequate for safety due to concerns about staffing levels, particularly with consultant cover.

Inspectors also found poor record keeping and delays for patients, particularly those waiting to be admitted after being brought in by ambulance.

They also said incidents were not being investigated and staff were failing to follow hand hygiene guidelines.