Work has started on the first phase of a project to expand and refurbish A&E facilities at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Willmott Dixon Interiors has begun demolition works at the hospital’s Millennium Wing on behalf of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex).

The 18-week project will pave the way for the phased delivery of an acute floor expansion which will provide more-modern healthcare facilities and significantly increase capacity to support critically-ill patients in A&E.

Under the contract, Willmott Dixon Interiors will manage the removal of all existing internal walls, ceilings, and flooring within the building and a full MEP stripout and replacement.

Awarded by Scape, this is the latest project to be delivered by the contractor at the hospital, following completion of works at Thomas Kemp Bridge and a two-storey modular extension of the Urgent Treatment Centre.

Graham Shaw, managing director, said: “Emergency department teams do an incredible job, but they need better facilities to continue to deliver quality care.

“These works will lay the foundations for a multi-million-pound overhaul which will deliver a raft of improvements, reducing waiting times and providing a better experience for staff and patients alike.”

James, Millar, deputy director of capital development and property at UHSussex, added: “The investment in A&E facilities at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will have a huge impact on the care we can provide patients.

“It will not only improve standards and deliver a better hospital environment, but has the potential to significantly reduce waiting times, helping the sickest patients to get the emergency care they need as quickly as possible.”