GOVERNMENT inspectors have visited the crisis-hit Royal Sussex County Hospital for the third time in three months.

The Care Quality Commission spent yesterday with the Surgery team at the Brighton hospital.

Today they are visiting the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, also part of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust.

The Trust went into Special Measures in August 2016 after a hugely critical report from the Care Quality Commission.

A spokesman for the Trust said yesterday: “The CQC is conducting Engagement Visits with the Trust as part of its help and assistance through the special measures for quality process. “This is a routine part of their work with any Trust that is under special measures.

“This is the third planned Engagement Visit, the first being to Critical Care in May and then Medicine Services in June.

“After each visit, the CQC team have praised the staff and noted the improvements that they’ve seen in each area.”

David Liley is Chief Executive Officer of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, which describes itself as “your local consumer champion for health and social care.”

He said he was aware of the two-day visit and that the Royal Sussex has been making huge improvements in recent months. He added: “We have until Monday to submit any reports or comments that we may have.

“There’s no shock horror here. The CQC will visit a Trust many times when it is in special measures.

“As far as I am concerned some real improvements have been made in recent months.

“Hygiene remains a real issue. It has got better and they have done great things but from a very low base.

“Accident and Emergency is much better. A massive effort has been made throughout the NHS in the city to make services better.

“I have known the new Chief Executive Marianne Griffiths for many years.

“I have always thought the Royal Sussex is impossible to manage because it is so big. But she is making a great fist of it, she’s doing a great job.”

Concerns raised back in August 2016 included: l patients being treated in a corridor l old buildings overcrowded and cluttered l staff from black and ethnic minority backgrounds saying bullying, harassment and discrimination were rife l staffing levels and the skill mix in key departments were too low l patients using beds in the operating theatre’s recovery area for up to three days with no appropriate toilets.