CAMPAIGNERS have renewed their call for the heads of a hospital trust to resign after it was branded inadequate.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust bosses are appearing before a scrutiny committee on Friday to discuss a damning report issued by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) earlier this year.

Members of the CQC, clinical commissioning groups and Healthwatch will also be giving evidence.

The East Sussex health overview and scrutiny committee will hear about the action plan drawn up by the trust to tackle the issues raised by inspectors.

Members are also expected to agree to continue monitoring the trust’s progress.

The trust, which runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, was given an inadequate rating following a CQC inspection last September.

The findings were published in March shortly after a second visit by inspectors.

The trust has not been placed into special measures as the CQC is still assessing the results of the follow up visit.

Chairwoman of the Save the DGH campaign group, Liz Walke called on members of the scrutiny committee to press for special measures.

She said: “The management at the trust needs to go. The findings of the report were damning and it is clear there needs to be a change at the top.

"Staff at the trust and residents in East Sussex have been badly let down and there needs to be a complete change in direction and culture at the trust.

CQC inspectors found a “worrying disconnect” between senior managers and frontline staff, allegations of bullying and a leadership described as a “dictatorship”.

Concerns were also raised about the trust’s surgery and outpatients services while the maternity unit at the Conquest was found to create risks to women and their babies from a “poorly managed service”.

When the CQC report was published, trust chief executive Darren Grayson said he was disappointed by the findings and that improvements had been made.

The scrutiny committee meets at County Hall in Lewes at 10am.

BACKGROUND

“The management at the trust needs to go. The findings of the report were damning and it is clear there needs to be a change at the top.

“Staff at the trust and residents in East Sussex have been badly let down and there needs to be a complete change in direction and culture at the trust.”

Liz Walke, chairwoman of the Save the DGH campaign group