Health bosses are being asked to explain how they will improve their hospitals.
Following disappointing results in the latest star ratings, Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) is asking NHS trusts to develop action plans to improve their ratings next year.
Worthing and Southlands, Royal West Sussex and the former Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trusts all dropped from two stars to one out of a possible three in the Department of Health ratings published earlier this month.
Hospital ratings were based on 35 performance indicators ranging from waiting lists, hospital cleanliness and delayed discharges to staff morale and sickness levels.
A one-star rating means there are areas of concern.
SHA chief executive Simon Robbins said: "The star indicators are an important tool in helping us identify which areas we need to concentrate on.
"We will ask the trust board from each of these organisations to produce a performance improvement plan setting out explicitly how they plan to tackle areas of poor performance.
"We will work closely with trusts and the communities they service to support them in maintaining and developing services to the high standards patients expect and deserve."
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