Serving a community of over 1.1 million people

BRIGHTON GENERAL COMMUNITY HEALTH HUB

Sussex Community Foundation Trust is the main provider of community healthcare across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and High Weald Lewes Havens area of East Sussex, serving a community of over 1.1 million people.

The original aim was to build a multi-purpose primary and secondary health hub, which had stalled with a large-scale affordability gap of £44m. Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) was subsequently appointed, following an OJEU competition, to the East Brighton Community Health Hub redevelopment project.
RLB explored linking the One Public Estate and process improvements with the commercial benefits of more intensive site planning. The proposed new Health Hub, located on the former Brighton General Hospital site, aims to combine all community health and social care needs. The funding for the project is reliant on balancing capital receipts from the sale of surplus land, new revenue streams, accurate forecasting of whole-life costs and facilities management efficiencies. RLB has increased land values by 300%, reduced required space by 31% and identified £477,000 of annual savings; plus further clinical pathway benefits likely to increase savings during the FBC stage.
The current site consists of over 20 buildings, of which 10 require multiple receptions and support staff. The topography of the site, combined with the listing of the main building, has presented significant challenges. RLB has used existing buildings and proposed new buildings to give a sense of order and generate better public value with over 500 units and a new build health hub on site. RLB has also pursued options enabling all services to be accommodated in a single building thereby reducing FM costs.
This has resulted in the development of patient-focused, commercially viable options enabling the Trust to achieve its ambitious commercial strategy at pace without the need for a drawn out NHSI and central funding approval process.
At present this scheme has produced a swing for the Trust in excess of £44m. We have workied intelligently and developed the site to enable more than 400 units than the first phase. This means utilising One Public Estate and working hard in negotiation with the council to maximise height and scale of housing and commercial. We have also supplied opportunities for more than £500k of revenue per annum.
RLB works strategically as a trusted advisor to remove show stoppers and minimise risk, whilst still challenging thinking to ensure the best possible outcome for the Trust, patients and staff.