Chris Ward said the Brighton General Hospital site must remain in public hands and that it should be used for affordable housing.

The comments from the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven follow a meeting that brought together representatives from Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton and Hove Citizens, and education leaders to discuss the future of the hospital site and how it can better serve the city.

The trust made the decision to sell off much of the site in Elm Grove to private housing developers in 2018.

Health bosses at the time said they needed the money to build a new community health hub, housing all the services currently offered on the site.

In 2020, the trust sought to create detailed plans and begin planning consultation with an aim to complete the new health hub by 2024. But since then, no work has begun to build the hub.

In March, Brighton and Hove City Council announced it would like to turn the Grade II hospital building into 500 homes.

There have also been calls from Brighton and Hove Citizens for the NHS trust to ringfence the 4.6-hectare site for affordable housing for keyworkers. 

Brighton and Hove Citizens at Brighton General Hospital (Image: Brighton and Hove Citizens)

It currently houses the trust’s administrative offices and a range of community-based health and social care services.

Mr Ward said he will continue engaging with NHS partners, community groups and residents to ensure that “future proposals reflect local needs and keep the site in public ownership”.

Praising the dedication of staff working at the hospital, he said the site’s “ageing infrastructure” is “no longer fit for the future and that progress has been stalled for too many years”.

“Brighton General Hospital must remain in public hands, serving the people of this city,” he said.

“This site has the potential to help solve two major problems: the chronic shortage of affordable homes in Brighton and the pressure on our NHS.

“I’m working closely with the council, community partners and government to move this forward after years of drift. This land was historically gifted to the people of Brighton, and it should remain in public hands, delivering affordable homes for key workers and improving NHS care for local people.

“There is real momentum building now, and I will continue to push hard to make sure we secure the right outcome for the community.”

A spokesman for Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust said: “We welcome the opportunity to work closely with Chris Ward MP, local partners and the wider community as we explore the future of the Brighton General Hospital site.

“Our priority is to ensure that people in Brighton, and Sussex more widely, have access to the modern, high‑quality, community-based healthcare facilities they deserve.  

“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with local organisations to make sure any plans for the site maximise the benefits for the community, both in terms of improved healthcare and wider public value.”

Councillor Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “Your Labour council is committed to working with our NHS partners to bring forward a scheme for hundreds of affordable homes – ideally reserved for key workers – as well as much needed community based health services.

“This site has been badly underused for so long which is why since we came into administration we’ve been pushing to get it moving. It’s great to be part of a campaign that includes Labour MP Chris Ward and so many local institutions and residents all pulling in the same direction.

“Brighton needs hundreds and hundreds more homes and this scheme has the potential to deliver just that.”