Laing O’Rourke has officially begun construction on the new £250m Sussex Cancer Centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
The construction firm was appointed to deliver the five-storey cancer centre in February, with McBains appointed by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to provide project management and cost management services for the development.
Backed by the Government's New Hospitals Programme, the £250m investment will create a regional Centre of Excellence for cancer care, serving a population of almost two million people across Sussex and welcoming more than 60,000 patients each year.
Once complete, the Sussex Cancer Centre will more than triple the hospital’s existing clinical space dedicated to cancer services, significantly expanding treatment, diagnostic and research capacity.
What will the cancer centre feature?
The facility will provide advanced cancer treatment and diagnostic capabilities, including high-precision radiotherapy facilities, additional outpatient clinics, dedicated assessment areas, a specialist day unit and a top-floor inpatient ward overlooking the Sussex coastline.
A dedicated Oncology Acute Assessment unit will also be incorporated into the development.
Integrated research and innovation space will support clinical trials and the adoption of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled healthcare solutions, helping to ensure patients can benefit from the latest advances in cancer treatment closer to home.
The specialist facility is expected to prevent more than 1,000 vulnerable cancer patients each year from having to attend the hospital’s general A&E department, ensuring they receive expert care in an appropriate setting while helping to reduce pressure on emergency services.
The appointment builds on McBains’ previous involvement with the trust, including services provided for the 3Ts Stage 1 Louisa Martindale Building, as well as delivering the site enabling works for the Sussex Cancer Centre development.
The Louisa Martindale Building was designed by a multi-disciplinary team from BDP and constructed by Laing O’Rourke.
A new landscaped garden and ‘green lung’ will be created between the Louisa Martindale Building and the Sussex Cancer Centre, providing a restorative outdoor space for patients, visitors and staff while connecting the developments into a unified healthcare campus.
Designed with patient wellbeing at its core, the new Sussex Cancer Centre will feature increased natural daylight, enhanced privacy and carefully considered clinical environments intended to improve patient experience, care and outcomes.
According to the project team, the facility has been designed to create a modern healthcare environment that supports both clinical excellence and patient experience, while increasing capacity to meet growing demand for cancer services across Sussex.
Laing O’Rourke said it will utilise digital design, offsite manufacturing and its integrated supply chain to improve construction efficiency, ensure quality and minimise disruption to local residents during delivery of the project.
What happened at the groundbreaking ceremony?
More than 200 project partners, healthcare representatives and civic leaders attended a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of work on the development.
A ceremonial foundation stone was laid during the event by Brighton resident Bill Shay, 71, a cancer patient and charity volunteer who has lived with incurable cancer for more than a decade following an innovative treatment programme provided by the trust.
“Breaking ground on the Sussex Cancer Centre is a proud moment for everyone involved. This facility will make a real and lasting difference for patients and their families, delivering increased capacity, advanced technology and a truly integrated approach to treatment and research,” said Hemant Sharma, Associate Director at McBains.
