Dilapidated buildings need to be pulled down and replaced as soon as possible if a hospital is to become a major 21st century medical centre of excellence, health bosses believe.

The Barry and and Jubilee buildings in the grounds of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton are so old they were around before Florence Nightingale did her ward rounds.

Duane Passman, head of an ambitious project for the redevelopment of the site, said there was an urgent need for change.

The 1828 Barry building is no longer suitable for modern healthcare.

Mr Passman said: “In terms of privacy and dignity we can’t carry on for much longer using those buildings. It is vital they are replaced. The care provided is excellent but the buildings need to go.”

The £300 million redevelopment aims to transform the Royal Sussex into a major trauma centre for Sussex and the South East. Features include a helipad so critically ill patients can be treated more quickly.

As well as providing new wards, the extra space would enable the transfer of the Hurstwood Park brain injuries unit from Haywards Heath.

The aim is for the cost of the scheme to be met through central funding rather than a private finance project.

Mr Passman said he was hopeful the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority and Department of Health would give the go-ahead to the plans in July. The new-look hospital could be unveiled in 2013.

Members of Brighton and Hove health overview and scrutiny committee are in favour of the redevelopment but raised concerns about parking, access to the site and disruption for nearby residents.

Mr Passman said a traffic impact assessment would be done as part of the planning application and he would be liaising with the city council’s planning team.