Subject: Plans for Capital Development of Royal Sussex County Hospital Emergency Department

Date of meeting: 23 April 2025

Report of: Chair of the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Contact Officer: Name: Giles Rossington, Scrutiny Manager

Tel: 01273 295514

Email: giles.rossington@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Ward(s) affected: (All Wards);

Key Decision: No

For general release

1. Purpose of the report and policy context

1.1 This report provides an update on University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust plans to make capital improvements to the emergency department floor at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, using NHS capital funding.

1.2 UHSx will present details of the redevelopment plans at the committee meeting. Appendix 1 to this reports contains information provided by UHSx.

2. Recommendations

2.1 That Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee noted the contents of this report and its appendix.

3. Context and background information

3.1 University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust provides acute and specialist services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) as well as at several other sites across Sussex. This includes running a busy Emergency Department (ED) which provides A&E and other urgent services. RSCH ED has historically faced challenges, and these continue, although performance against national A&E targets has significantly improved over recent months. These challenges have multiple causes, one of which is the suboptimal current configuration of the RSCH emergency floor. The HOSC has previously explored the challenges experienced by RSCH A&E and the system-wide work to address these challenges – for instance at the 10 July 2024 committee meeting.

3.2 UHSx has recently been successful in securing a significant amount of NHS capital funding and has plans to redevelop the RSCH ED, improving clinical outcomes and patient experience.

3.3 More details of these plans will be provided by UHSx at the committee meeting.

4. Analysis and consideration of alternative options

4.1 Not relevant to this report for information.

5. Community engagement and consultation

5.1 None to this report for information.

6. Financial implications

6.1 No financial implications have been identified in this report which is for information.

7. Legal implications

7.1 No legal implications have been identified as arising from this Report, which is for noting only.

Name of lawyer consulted: Victoria Simpson Date consulted 07.04.2025

8. Equalities implications

8.1 None identified for this information report.

9. Sustainability implications

9.1 None identified for this information report.

10. Health and Wellbeing Implications:

10.1 None identified for this information report.

Other Implications

11. Procurement implications

11.1 None identified for this information report.

12. Crime & disorder implications:

12.1 None identified for this information report.

13. Conclusion

13.1 Members are asked to note plans by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to make capital improvements to the Royal Sussex County Emergency floor.

Supporting Documents

Appendices

1. Information on the Royal Sussex Emergency Department capital development plans provided by UHSx.