University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust at Worthing Hospital

Worthing Hospital

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Trust Contact Details

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals, Park Avenue, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2HR 

Trust switchboard: 01903 205111 
Trust contacts: https://whec.info/contact/

Trust website:https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/

Foundation Training Programme Directors 
Dr Rajen Patel – F1 Lead 
Miss Pauline Whitehouse – F2 Lead 

Director of Medical Education 
Mr David Beattie 

Medical Education Manager 
Bebba Smithers 
Sam Vaughan 

Foundation Manager 
Miss Christina Aluko

Facilities

Postgraduate Centre

The Worthing Health Education Centre (WHEC) is a purpose built centre located on the lower ground floor of Worthing Hospital and is supported by an experienced and friendly team of postgraduate staff. All rooms are equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment including computer and internet access. All foundation teaching takes place within the centre on a weekly basis. WHEC has an extensive range of seminar and lecture rooms including fully equipped simulation facilities. All Senior Medical Education staff can be contacted through WHEC. The centre is frequented by medical staff both from within the hospital and from the community. 

Accommodation

Limited accommodation is available on a first come, first served basis. Rent for accommodation starts at £424 per month (rents reviewed annually in April). 

Library Facilities 

Worthing Hospital has a well-stocked library, with a selection of e-resources and fast, efficient document delivery service. The library staff are friendly and approachable and on hand to undertake literature searches, upon request. The staff are available to provide training on searches for evidence based information. The library is available 24 hours a day, via swipe access.

IT facilities 

The library has 15 computer stations available for use to all hospital staff. The IT facilities within the library are available 24 hours a day, via swipe access. 

Parking Arrangements 

Parking arrangements are made via the parking office at the hospital. Subject to availability doctors are able to purchase annual hospital parking permits (payable monthly from your salary). Alternatively applications can be made to Worthing Borough Council Parking Office in the town centre for a street parking permit. All other hospital parking is pay on foot. 

Local Area

Transport Links

Worthing Hospital is located within close proximity to both Worthing Central and East Worthing train stations with direct routes to London Victoria, Portsmouth and Southampton. There are frequent trains to most south coast destinations, including Brighton and its Royal Pavilion! There is also a frequent bus service to and from the hospital. The Trust recently started a Green Travel Plan, which enables staff to travel between sites using a free mini-bus service. Further details can be found on staffnet which can be accessed upon commencement of employment.

Local Amenities/Attractions 

Worthing hospital is within walking distance of the town centre where there are a variety of independent and big chain stores. The Dome Cinema is in close proximity to the hospital and shows a variety of films within its original Edwardian decor. The Connaught and Pavilion Theatres are located within the town centre and host both films and theatre productions. There are a selection of gyms, leisure facilities and a swimming pool (Splashpoint) just down the road from the hospital. The sea front is just a short 15 minute walk where you will find restaurants, pubs and local cafes for you to enjoy. 

Foundation Specific

Induction/Shadowing Arrangements

Incoming F1s attend a five day induction programme which incorporates 2 full days of shadowing prior to the commencement of their F1 year. All F2s attend a full day induction programme on their first day with the Trust. This includes a half day departmental induction within their initial specialty. Please use the below link for access to the induction videos and handbooks that are on our website: https://pgme.info/resources/induction-videos

Tasters

Both F1s and F2s are encouraged to take Taster Days in specialties that are of interest to them and not covered within their two year foundation programme. These are arranged on an individual basis. 

Simulation

A new Simulation Suite with state of the art, high fidelity manikins opened on 8th March 2011 at Worthing Hospital giving all foundation doctors the opportunity to attend Simulation training onsite. Designed and equipped to provide a simulated clinical learning environment in order to deliver high quality education and training for healthcare professionals. This superb facility ensures that the clinical training opportunities at Worthing Hospital continue to develop and flourish. All foundation doctors attend dedicated simulation sessions during their time at Worthing. F1s and F2s have a full day simulation session. This is a mandatory requirement. All simulation sessions are certificated. 

Please contact us via:uhsussex.cmec.clinicalskills@nhs.net

Foundation Doctor Forums 

Foundation Doctor Reps are required to attend quarterly Local Faculty Group (LFG) meetings to feedback on the views of their peers to the Foundation Faculty. Foundation Doctor Forums are run across both sites. All doctors in training are welcome to attend these to voice their views and opinions on the hospital. These are run as informal, confidential events for foundation doctors, giving them the opportunity to feedback honestly and openly. Senior consultants may only attend with prior consent from the attending doctors in training. Foundation reps also attend the LAB (Local Academic Board) meetings. 

Educational and Clinical Supervision

Foundation doctors are allocated an Educational Supervisor who will support them throughout their year with us. Any doctor on a linked two year programme will have the same Educational Supervisor throughout their whole time with us. It is the Educational Supervisor’s responsibility to support the doctor and their educational development during this time and provide feedback on their progress to the Medical Education Team. Foundation doctors are allocated a Clinical Supervisor for each placement they undertake who is responsible for their clinical skill development, provide day-to-day support to their doctor and feedback on their foundation doctor’s clinical progress to the Medical Education Team. 

Teaching Programme

All core mandatory teaching is bleep free and foundation doctors must attend a minimum of 30hrs during the year. Foundation doctors should also have a minimum of 30hrs non-core teaching throughout their rotations. All teaching is to be logged onto their portfolio. Weekly teaching is delivered live.  All sessions are recorded and uploaded to our EPGME learning platform to give all  the opportunity to access all teaching sessions. In addition to this, departmental teaching is also frequently delivered and will allow foundation doctors the opportunity to present cases. 

Any Additional Information 

Foundation doctors are supported not only by the Foundation Team but also by two Senior Nurse Education Fellows (one at Chichester and one at Worthing). They hold ‘Doctors in Mind’ sessions once a month, where doctors in training can bring their concerns and good practice to the table. The Senior Nurse Education Fellows also visit wards on a regular basis to support the Health and Wellbeing of the doctors. University Hospitals Sussex was the first Trust to have this service as the wellbeing of our foundation doctors is a priority.  

Trust Information

Accolades/Achievements of the Trust

On 1st July 2013 Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust, only the second Trust (since April 2012) to be approved under Monitor’s new powers to promote and protect the interests of patients. Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust was named as a CHKS 40 Top Hospital every year since the Trust was formed in 2009. On the 19th April 2016 Western Sussex was inspected and rated Outstanding by the CQC. Western Sussex was one of only three acute trusts in the country to be awarded the CQC’s highest rating. Inspectors rated the overall standards of care patients receive as Outstanding. Now the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust’s Clinical Skills Laboratory facilities rival some of the best training environments in the NHS. 

Any Additional Information 

About Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
On 1st April 2021 Western Sussex NHS Trust merged with Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust to form the new University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust making a combined trust of 7 hospitals across Sussex. 

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust was established on 1 April, 2009 as the result of the merger between Royal West Sussex, and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trusts. On 1 July, 2013 we gained Foundation Trust status, becoming the first acute Trust in Sussex to achieve this milestone. 

In April 2016, Western Sussex Hospitals received an “Outstanding” CQC report and are very proud to have again achieved ‘Outstanding’ at our 2019 inspection. Western Sussex was one of only five acute hospital Trusts in the country to have received the health watchdog’s highest possible rating. The Trust is also renowned for its leading approach to continuous improvement and staff empowerment, enabled by a long term strategic transformation programme called Patient First. 
Our portion of Postgraduate Education operates across three major sites: St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, Worthing Hospital, and Southlands Hospital in Shoreham. We serve a population of approximately 450,000 people, and in 2016/2017 our annual turnover was approximately £434.9m. 

Both St Richard’s and Worthing hospitals provide a full range of acute hospital care, including accident and emergency services, acute medical care, maternity and children’s services and a range of surgical specialties. Southlands Hospital provides outpatient and diagnostic services, and day case procedures and is home to our new £7.5m Western Sussex Eye Care Centre. 

Our services are predominantly commissioned by the NHS Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group with whom we are committed to providing high quality integrated care across the local health economy. 

We are also committed to working closely with our provider of community hospitals, Sussex Community NHS Trust, and the local provider of mental health services, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. 

The Trust does not provide tertiary services and looks towards Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton for these services. 

About Worthing Hospital 

Worthing Hospital has approximately 500 beds and provides a full range of general acute services including maternity, outpatients, A&E and intensive care. The hospital primarily serves people living in Worthing, Shoreham-by-Sea and also towns and villages along the coast and in the inland areas of West Sussex. 

However, it also offers more specialist services, such as the West Sussex breast screening, to a wider catchment area stretching from Chichester in the west to Brighton in the east. 

About Southlands Hospital 

Southlands Hospital in Shoreham-by-Sea is being developed as an important centre for hospital services that do not require an overnight stay. 

The hospital is home to a new, state-of-the-art eye care centre and specialises in outpatient services, diagnostics, day surgery and other types of what is called ‘ambulatory care’.