The top windows of a multi-million pound children's hospital have to be kept permanently closed to stop young patients falling out.

The windows of the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital (RACH) in Brighton can be opened out fully instead of being designed to only open a short distance.

It means children only have an air conditioning system instead of fresh air circulating around their room.

The design has been criticised by Brighton and Hove City Council green councillor Jason Kitkat, who has written to the city's health overview and scrutiny committee with his concerns.

He said: “An air conditioning system uses up more energy and is not particularly environmentally friendly as it uses up energy.

“It is a pity children are in a hospital by the sea and are locked up in little boxes.

“Surely when the hospital was designed they could have included some method where the windows could be left ajar so the children could have some fresh air without being put at risk.”

Coun Kitkat said he was also told by one parent that the lights in the children's rooms were too bright.

On at least one occasion nurses tried putting a pillow over the light to dim it but had to take it away because of health and safety.

Coun Kitkat said: “While undoubtedly this building is a fine and important addition to the city's health provision, these two issues do raise questions about the design of new NHS buildings.

“These are small matters in the context of the major facility the new children's hospital represents.

“However fresh air and a dark room for rest do play an important part in recuperation and healing.”

Hospital director of facilities Ian Tait said: “The windows in the RACH are designed to be opened for cleaning and maintenance activities only, being physically locked at all other times.

“The main reason for this is to allow the air conditioning system to function correctly and maintain close temperature control of the environment.

“Additionally, the fire strategy in the building requires the windows to be closed to prevent fire spread in the event of an outbreak, this being particularly relevant in the atrium.

“The lighting systems comply with the current health technical memorandum which requires a level of illumination to be present at all times to allow staff on duty to physically check patients’ conditions.

“At night this requirement is for a light to remain on in every room and provide a level of up to one Lux of illumination.

“This level of light is provided in all rooms, typically being 0.8 Lux, which is an extremely low level of light.”

The state-of-the-art hospital, which is based in the grounds of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, opened in 2007 and has won several awards for its distinctive ark shaped design.

The scrutiny committee meets on Wednesday at Hove Town Hall at 4pm.

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