Green light for investment in new hospital in Brighton
2 May 2014 01:01 PM
Under the ambitious
redevelopment programme old buildings at the Royal Sussex County hospital in
Brighton will be demolished and replaced with facilities consistent with modern
standards.
£420 million of investment
at the Royal Sussex County hospital in Brighton has been approved by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne.
The 753-bed trust provides a
full range of surgical support for major trauma and emergencies. However, the
current buildings on the Royal Sussex County site are amongst the oldest in the
NHS and date back to the 19th century which is impacting on the quality of
overall patient care.
Under the ambitious
redevelopment programme old buildings on the site will be demolished and
replaced with new buildings and facilities consistent with modern
standards.
The hospital’s capacity
will expand by 100 beds and the neurosciences and cancer centres will both also
be improved as a result of the refurbishment.
The redevelopment is expected to
significantly improve the experience patients receive, for instance by
increasing the square footage for accommodation, and also raise the quality of
care due to improved patient flows around the hospital.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer,
George Osborne, said:
I am delighted that we have been
able to green light the investment for the much needed redevelopment of the
Royal Sussex County hospital. This is great news for Brighton and the whole
local community.
Bringing the buildings and
facilities of this venerated hospital up to modern standards will enhance and
improve patients’ care and experience.
This investment once again
demonstrates our commitment to protect and support the NHS. It is only possible
because our long term economic plan has restored control of our public
finances.
The works at the Royal Sussex
County hospital site will be fully financed from public funds and as part of
the Department of Health’s capital investment budget.
The difficult decisions taken on
day-to-day spending, as part of our long term economic plan, have made it
possible to support targeted capital investment like this
project.
Redevelopment works at the
hospital site are expected to start later this year and complete by 2024. Plans
will be finalised over the coming months, with all funding subject to final
approvals as usual.