Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust has been commended by an independent health body for the way it learns from complaints.

In a report published today, Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust - which runs the District General Hospital - was said to monitor and assess complaints to avoid repeat failures.

The report by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) also praised the trust for making itself more open to patients over the past 18 months.

It says the trust has turned a corner since a regional review in 1999 and the secondment of a new chief executive and new members of the executive team.

The CHI carries out routine assessments of every NHS trust, health authority and primary care group in England and Wales.