The Sussex Surgical Centre, our new surgical facility currently under construction at Eastbourne DGH, recently passed a major milestone with the completion of the frame of the building.
To celebrate the occasion, trust staff and our construction partners held a ‘topping out’ ceremony, with Emma Smyth, the trust’s Head of Major Projects who is overseeing the delivery of the centre, pouring a final section of concrete to mark the occasion.
The building of the new Surgical Centre has made rapid progress since construction began in August last year. The Sussex Surgical Centre is on course to open in Spring 2025, providing four new operating theatres to deliver elective surgical care along with admission, discharge and recovery space. The new unit will undertake procedures for ten hours per day, initially for five days per week before moving to six. The centre will significantly increase the amount of elective surgical work undertaken in Sussex.
Jo Dale, who chairs the project board for the centre, said: “It’s a testament to all of the hard work from our staff and our construction partners that we have hit this milestone on schedule while not compromising on the quality of the build. Thank you and congratulations to all of the team”.
Phil Day, the project manager from our construction partners IHP, said: “We are proud to celebrate the completion of the concrete frame to the Sussex Surgical Centre with a traditional topping out ceremony. Notwithstanding the Trust’s drive, positivity and leadership, this achievement could not have gained without the tireless efforts of our contractors and the IHP team who have delivered within a challenging operational environment and during a period which has encountered a significant amount of rainfall.”
