Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, will be welcoming the Health Secretary to the Royal Sussex County Hospital today.
THE visit comes as Mr Kirby has been pressing the Department of Health and the Chancellor for an additional £60 million for the Royal Sussex County Hospital redevelopment.
The MP successfully lobbied for the original £420 million funding, signed off by the Chancellor in May 2014, as part of the Outline Business Case from the hospital. However, since then costs have increased by a further £60 million and Mr Kirby has been supporting the Trust in their efforts to secure the additional £60 million now required from the Government.
Mr Kirby said: “I have been busy lobbying both the Chancellor George Osborne, and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, to approve an additional £60 million for the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
“I successfully campaigned in support of the hospital’s Outline Business Case for £420 million, petitioning the Health Secretary, bringing the Chancellor to the hospital and raising the issue with the Prime Minister during PMQs. Following this campaign, the Government approved this funding in May 2014. Subsequently the hospital has been working hard to finalise the proposal and is now requesting additional funding.
“I have been working hard to convince both the Treasury and the Department of Health that this further funding is absolutely necessary. This extra money will allow the local NHS Trust to commence work with complete certainty.
“I have made sure that both the Health Secretary and the Chancellor are acutely aware of how important this hospital is to everyone in Brighton and the surrounding area, and the local desire for this additional funding to be approved as soon as possible and I look forward to welcoming the Health Secretary to the Royal Sussex.”
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