Chancellor George Osborne gives green light to £420m hospital redevelopment
Chancellor George Osborne has given the green light for funding to be released for the £420 million redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
More than two years after it received planning permission, the Treasury agreed today (Thursday May 1) that the sum should be released to the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS trust.
It will mean that work to modernise the hospital in Edward Street, Brighton, can push ahead in the coming months.
Those leading the project believe it could be complete by 2024.
Brighton Kemptown MP Simon Kirby, who has lobbied the chancellor on the issue a number of times, said: “I am delighted that my campaign for this much needed new hospital has been successful.
“A huge thank you to all the staff at the Royal Sussex for their work on putting together such a strong case, and to all the residents who have backed my campaign.”
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.
The huge scheme will mean the demolition of the original hospital – the Barry Building in Eastern Road in Kemp Town – which took its first patients in 1828 before Florence Nightingale began nursing.
Another 19th century building, the Jubilee Building, from the later, Victorian era, will also be demolished.
An extra 100 beds will be created when the scheme is completed.
The scheme – known as the 3Ts (teaching, trauma and tertiary care) – will also involve transferring neuroscience treatment such as brain surgery to Brighton and upgrading the Sussex Cancer Centre.
The proposal received unanimous planning approval from Brighton and Hove City Council in January 2012.
However the Treasury delayed signing off on the release of funding as it was not happy the trust met key criteria in its bid to Whitehall.
Mr Osborne praised Mr Kirby for the work he had done locally on securing the funds.
But opposition politicians accused the Conservatives of a political wheeze and delaying the funding announcement to ensure it secured more votes at next year’s general election.
Labour supporter Neil Schofield said: “This is a hospital which Labour committed to and Tories have waited four years to deliver at price of huge local cuts.”
Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton pavilion, said: “Delighted cross-party community campaign for Treasury money for desperately needed Royal Sussex redevelopment successful at last. Great news.
“I’ll be keeping up the pressure to ensure no more unnecessary delays to next phase of Royal Sussex redevelopment.”
Royal Sussex boss Matthew Kershaw, chief executive of the hospital trust, said: “It’s fantastic news for the hospital and most importantly for our patients.
“There’s a lot of work to do but it’s really good news today.”
He said that the oldest part of the hospital site – fronting Eastern Road – will be pulled down probably next year.
Asked about the length of time that it has taken to win approval for government funding, Mr Kershaw said: “It has taken time. This is a £420 million investment of public money and anything of that scale takes time to be checked and properly thought through.
“In my experience you just have to work it through with all the relevant authorities and be patient.”
The scheme – at more than four times the cost of Brighton and Hove Albion’s new stadium in Falmer – will provide a significant boost to the local economy.
While it will create jobs, it will also present transport and logistical challenges.
The project will be fully financed from public funds out of the Department of Health’s capital investment budget. It will not rely on controversial Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding.
