About private patient care

Our private patient services at our hospitals provide private healthcare to people who have decided to either pay for their care or use their private medical insurance.

All income from private patients is put back into our hospitals to invest in patient care.

As a private patient you’ll have the dedicated care, privacy and service you’d expect from a private hospital but with the round the clock facilities, cutting edge technology and state of the art equipment of a large acute NHS trust.

Our staff are on hand to make you as comfortable as possible and our specialist consultants will work closely with you to give you the best treatment and care to support a speedy recovery.

View the UHSussex private patient policy and procedures

Our private patient locations and services

We offer a number of adult, children and specialist healthcare services for private patients at our hospitals. Please note our private suite is based at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester.

Brighton and Haywards Heath

Select Healthcare is the private division for the Royal Sussex County, the Royal Alexandra Children’s and Sussex Eye hospitals in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Private services offered in our Brighton and Haywards Heath hospitals

Chichester, Shoreham and Worthing

Chichester

We have a private suite at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester which has private ensuite rooms in addition to some small private shared bays.

Worthing

Amongst the vast array of private procedures on offer, Worthing Hospital has two cardiac catheter labs where we are able to undertake a vast array of cardiac procedures which cannot be undertaken elsewhere locally.

Shoreham

Back in 2017, the Trust opened a purpose-built brand-new state of the art ophthalmology facility at Southlands Hospital in Shoreham. This facility has been designed for easy access and all facilities are located at ground level.

Private services offered in our Chichester, Shoreham and Worthing hospitals

Staying with us at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester

Our rooms are designed to be comfortable and private throughout your stay. For patients that are clinically suitable to be housed on the Chichester Suite Private Patients Unit, our rooms are all en-suite with power points, radio, wifi, complimentary toiletries and nurse call buttons.

Your medical team

Your care is led by your consultant with support from clinical specialists including nurses, therapists, dietitians, pharmacists and technicians. Your consultant will visit you regularly to plan and supervise your treatment and monitor the progress of your recovery.

To make sure you receive the highest standards of care, you may be transferred to or treated in another area of the hospital. This might include the imaging department for diagnostic tests, specialist cardiac units for treatment of heart conditions or operating theatres for surgical procedures.

In some cases, you might spend some time in the hospital’s critical care unit before being moved back to your private room. This is most likely following major surgery, when you may need the enhanced monitoring and care in which our critical care team specialises.

What to bring with you

We’ve found that our patients are most comfortable when they have their own things around them. When you’re getting ready to come to hospital, you should pack:

any medication you usually take and details of this
nightwear, underwear, dressing gown and slippers
toiletries and flannel (towels are provided)
comfortable, loose-fitting clothes to wear during the day
a small amount of cash
books, magazines or other forms of entertainment.

Please don’t bring valuables with you including jewellery, electronics and large quantities of cash, any food, flowers and plants, or any pets.

Meals and drinks

Our nutritious menu caters for special dietary requirements as well as cultural and religious needs. We serve tea and coffee throughout the day and you can ask for drinks at any time. We also provide tea and coffee for your guests.

Visitors

Loved ones are welcome to visit you at any time during the day. We just ask that they respect the privacy of other patients staying in the unit by keeping noise down in common areas.

Your healthcare team may sometimes ask that visitors are kept to a minimum so that you’re able to rest and recover. Visitors may be asked to leave your room for short periods so that we can monitor you.

Where possible, please avoid having babies or small children on the ward and remember that children who do visit you must be supervised at all times.

Infection prevention

We take cleanliness and infection control very seriously and work closely with the Trust’s infection prevention and control team.

You may be screened for MRSA before you’re admitted, more information will be provided before you come to hospital.

If any of your friends or family are unwell or have recently had an infection, we ask that they stay away from the hospital until they are well again.

Read our infection prevention information for visitors

Funding your care

Private medical insurance

If you’d like to use your private medical insurance you’ll need to contact them first to check they cover the planned treatment. We have agreements with many insurance companies and the majority of our services are covered.

We’ll then confirm the treatment is authorised by your provider and arrange to bill them on your behalf so you don’t need to worry. We’ll also keep in regular contact with them during your stay to let them know if there’s any changes in your care or treatment.

Self-funding

If you’re thinking about private treatment but don’t have medical insurance we’ll be happy to give you a guide price. Your consultant will then be able to give you a more detailed cost when you discuss your treatment plan.

Please talk to us about funding options for either pay as you go or fixed price. Whichever you decide, your health and your safety will be our priority at all times.