UH Sussex in the spotlight again: new chief of £1.7 billion trust, harsh CQC findings and deepening scrutiny

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex) appointed Dr Andy Heeps as its new chief executive, prioritising continuity through internal succession. Dr Heeps, a consultant obstetrician, served in various leadership roles at the trust, including deputy CEO and interim chief executive in 2025. He acknowledged the significant challenges ahead as the trust focuses on performance and safety issues.

This leadership transition occurs amidst intense regulatory scrutiny, underlined by a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on a major emergency department. The CQC found that managers "felt pressured and bullied not to disclose difficulties" and were managing "extreme risk," raising serious concerns about avoidable incidents and the organisational culture. This has reignited questions about the trust's local governance and the psychological safety for staff reporting issues.

UHSussex faced sustained oversight throughout 2024–2025. This included a CQC prosecution in October 2025 following the death of a young person in its care, highlighting serious safety failings and leading to enhanced regulatory oversight. These legal proceedings, alongside earlier high-profile service suspensions, resulted in a substantial compliance and reputational burden. Reporting consistently flagged deeper cultural issues; independent reviews and coverage described a "culture of fear" in some surgical areas and chronic problems with escalation, whistleblowing, and leadership dynamics. The trust stated it is addressing these through governance reforms and improvement programmes.

Board papers and public meetings in late 2025 indicate the board’s efforts to balance operational demands with ongoing regulatory requirements. Annual reports and recent agendas detail improvement plans and service priorities, signalling the leadership team's recognition of the work required to restore confidence.

Reaction from clinicians and local campaigners has been mixed. While some staff welcome consistent executive leadership and clearer accountability, others stress that cultural change requires independent assurance, swift disciplinary action where necessary, and sustained investment in supervision and training to rebuild trust. The CQC's language about bullying and suppression of concerns strengthened calls for robust whistleblower protections.

For patients, the primary concerns are practical: the current safety of services and the speed of improvement promised by the reforms. A recovery and succession plan, helmed by the new CEO, is underway, with the trust reaffirming its commitment to advancing safety initiatives and external collaborations. Regulators and system partners will closely monitor key performance metrics, including waiting times, incident reporting, and mortality reviews, along with the pace of tangible cultural change.