The emergency department of a maligned hospital is to receive an overhaul which will provide more space to treat patients.
A wing of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton will be demolished to pave the way for the expansion of the acute floor of the Accident and Emergency department.
The renovations come alongside further plans to develop the hospital including the opening of the new Louisa Martindale Building and the demolition of the Barry Building and creation of a new cancer centre in its place.
James Millar, deputy director of capital development and property at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The investment in A&E facilities at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will have a huge impact on the care we can provide patients.
“It will not only improve standards and deliver a better hospital environment, but has the potential to significantly reduce waiting times, helping the sickest patients to get the emergency care they need as quickly as possible.”
The improvements come as the Royal Sussex looks to make improvements having faced a scathing CQC report in 2023.
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Emergency staff have also been forced to treat patients in corridors at the busiest periods for the department due to a lack of space in bays and cubicles.
Sections of the watchdog’s wider report on the NHS trust in May said some staff felt “undervalued, unsafe and unsupported” at the hospital.
The 18-week project will see a floor expansion to the emergency department which will significantly increase critical patient capacity.
Graham Shaw, managing director of contractor Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “We are proud to be supporting UHSussex in the radical improvement of emergency hospital treatment at Royal Sussex County Hospital.
“Emergency department teams do an incredible job but they need better facilities to continue to deliver quality care.
“These works will lay the foundations for a multi-million-pound overhaul which will deliver a raft of improvements, reducing waiting times and providing a better experience for staff and patients alike.”
The project is the latest in a line of improvements including works on the Thomas Kemp Bridge and an extension of the Urgent Treatment Centre.
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