Demolition work has begun on a building at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

The Barry Building, in Eastern Road, which was the oldest operational NHS structure in the country, is being removed to make room for a new proposed cancer centre.

The building closed last year and all the medical equipment and treatments were transferred to the new Louisa Martindale Building.

The Sussex Cancer Centre project is part of the second phase of the hospital site's £750 million redevelopment.

The plans are subject to planning and business case approvals and the centre should be completed by 2028 if approved.

READ MORE: Behind-the-scenes footage of Call The Midwife scenes filmed at Sussex beach

Dr George Findlay, the hospital's chief executive, said: "Over the next few months, the old hospital estate and surrounding buildings will be carefully dismantled, and a revised planning application submitted for our new £155 million Sussex Cancer Centre.

"It will bring state-of-the-art purpose-built facilities, employing novel treatments and technologies, expertise and research together in an environment that supports improved patient and staff experience for our radiotherapy, oncology and haematology departments."

The Argus: The Sussex Cancer Centre, if approved, would be complete by 2028

The demolition of The Barry Building began in January this year when contractors started removing everything from inside the building.

The external structure will now start to be slowly demolished this month and should be finished by the summer.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust said efforts are being made to minimise disruption, dust, and noise for patients, visitors, staff, and residents.

Deliveries and materials are being held off-site near Brighton Marina, with traffic management systems in place to safely control all vehicle movements.

Dr Sarah Westwell, consultant oncologist and chief of service for cancer, said: “We’re hugely excited about this once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the care we’re able to provide for people living with cancer in Sussex.

“The building has been meticulously designed with our patients, their outcomes and wellbeing at the heart of every decision.

"Our new cancer centre will bring world-class cancer care to Brighton and Sussex, helping to save lives at a time when one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime.”

The hospital trust’s director of capital development and planning, Robert Cairney, said: “Stage one of the redevelopment, now known as the Louisa Martindale Building, has completely transformed the clinical environment for more than 30 wards and departments since it opened for patients.

“Stage two will do the same for our radiotherapy, oncology and haematology departments and provide state-of-the-art facilities for patients receiving treatment for cancer too.”

The revised planning application is due to be submitted to the city council soon, the hospital trust has said.