Last updated: 11 October 2026, 9.40am BST.
The NHS Sussex Steps to Safety pilot is expected to begin delivery in early 2027 after NHS Surrey and Sussex was selected for the national programme. The announcement, published on 9 October, promises closer links between GP practices and specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence support.
At a glance
- Surrey and Sussex is one of 12 pilot areas.
- Work with partners is beginning; expected delivery is early 2027.
- The plan combines staff training, specialist workers and clearer referral links.
- People needing help now do not have to wait for the pilot.
What NHS Sussex Steps to Safety will change
In its 9 October announcement, the integrated care board says clinical and non-clinical staff will receive help to recognise abuse and respond appropriately. Specialist workers will link with practices, Primary Care Networks and neighbourhoods, connecting primary care with existing voluntary and specialist services.
Selection is a development milestone. It is not an announcement that a new referral service is operating at every Sussex surgery today. The release does not identify participating practices, a Sussex funding allocation or a firm launch date.
The national context
The Department of Health and Social Care’s announcement of 16 December 2025 set an ambition for dedicated referral services across England by 2029, with specialist support available across groups of general practices.
That release also discussed up to £50 million for expansion of the Child House model for children affected by sexual abuse. That is a separate measure: readers should not interpret that figure as the budget awarded to this Surrey and Sussex pilot.
Why it matters locally
The NHS describes this as building on support that already exists. For Brighton, Hove and wider Sussex, the practical question is whether approaching a familiar surgery leads to a clear next step with an appropriate specialist, rather than another list of organisations to navigate.
A pilot also creates a responsibility to explain its limits. A resident should be able to find out whether their practice participates and how referrals work, without having to decode the health system’s organisational terminology.
What residents need to know now
The NHS’s current advice says you can speak to your GP and do not need to wait for an emergency to seek help. Women can contact Refuge’s free National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, available day and night.
Brighton & Hove City Council’s support page points residents to its community safety partnership directory for local domestic and sexual violence services.
Call 999 in an emergency. Government guidance explains that if you cannot speak on a mobile 999 call, listen to the operator and press 55 when prompted to be transferred to police. This system applies to mobiles and does not itself give police your location. Consider whether it is safe to use a device for support information if somebody monitors it.
Brighton Locals’ view
Editorial judgement: Connecting routine healthcare with specialist support is a positive aim. The test is a safe, workable referral with enough specialist capacity behind it. Selection for a pilot is encouraging; it cannot yet demonstrate shorter waits or better outcomes.
What to watch next
The next useful evidence will be the list of participating practices, the referral process, staffing arrangements and a confirmed delivery timetable. We will look for those details before describing the service as available locally.
Bottom line: Sussex has secured a place in the pilot, but people who need support now should use existing services.
Archive context image: Portslade Health Centre, photographed on 6 September 2012 by Hassocks5489 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0. The NHS has not confirmed this centre as a participating pilot site.
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