East Sussex MPs receive government update on county hospitals programme

Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell organised the meeting in Westminster with Lord Markham to discuss a new hospital at the District General Hospital in Eastbourne and improvements at Conquest in Hastings and and Bexhill Hospital.

Bexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman, Hasting and Rye MP Sally-Ann Hart and Lewes MP Maria Caulfield joined Caroline for the meeting following the confirmation of the programme in the autumn statement.

The MPs heard the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with the trust’s team to complete the programme by 2030.

Specialist preparation work is being undertaken ahead of the next phase of the project, including looking at a modular build programme to keep costs down.

“This was a really positive meeting where it is clear much work is going on to formulate how this exciting programme will be delivered at the trust,” said Caroline.

“It remains a work in progress as we must get this right and give value for money for the taxpayer. However, this project remains a once-in-a-generation investment in healthcare in Eastbourne and across East Sussex and it should be welcomed by everyone.”

Maria Caulfield said: “When I was first elected Eastbourne DGH was under threat of closure, so this is welcome news indeed and shows the huge investment that the Government is making locally.

“This is great for those in the Lewes constituency who use the DGH. The new hospital will have brand new state of the art facilities, meaning that people will be able to get better treatment closer to home.

“It was good to catch up with Lord Markham and other East Sussex MPs to be updated on the progress.”

Sally-Ann Hart said: "The New Hospital Programme is a joint transformation programme between the Department for Health and Social Care and the NHS and will support our fantastic local healthcare trust to better deliver healthcare now and into the future.

“This Programme will be delivered locally in the next few years and will build our local as well as national capacity, achieve high quality and sustainable care, and create innovative and intelligent healthcare delivery, benefitting us all in Hastings and Rye."

Huw Merriman said: “It was good to sit down with Lord Markham to discuss the details of this investment programme for our local hospitals and to be reassured that the government is fully committed to delivering new and state-of-the-art hospital facilities for East Sussex residents.

“The new hospitals will be transformative for both patients and staff. We already have a new Diagnostic Centre for East Sussex residents in Bexhill, which was opened in January, and work is underway with a new mental health hospital in Bexhill. With this New Hospitals Funding programme for East Sussex, local patients will be getting the best care in the new state of the art facilities.”