Eastbourne MP Secures Health Secretary Commitment to ‘Review’ DGH Funding

On BBC’s Question Time last night (19th March), Josh Babarinde, Lib Dem MP for Eastbourne, challenged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to accelerate investment in Eastbourne District General Hospital (DGH).

Mr Babarinde highlighted the urgent challenges facing Eastbourne’s hospital, including the power cut in January that led to operations being cancelled and the midwifery unit closing for days. 

These concerns have been acknowledged by East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust itself, which has said that “The age and standard of the current hospital buildings present challenges for the consistent delivery of safe, effective, responsive and efficient care.”

Mr Babarinde secured a commitment from the Health Secretary to review the current funding plans for the new hospital, which Eastbourne has been promised, with the MP pushing for funding to be accelerated. 

The Eastbourne MP has repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament, calling on the Government to bring forward plans for a new hospital for the town.

The local NHS Trust has confirmed they are “ready to go” and are simply waiting for the necessary approvals and funding from the Government to begin work on the New Hospital.

Mr Babarinde said:

“Inadequate hospital buildings are undermining the incredible work of staff at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

The recent power outage is not an isolated incident, but a symptom of years of underinvestment in critical infrastructure.

I have followed up with the Health Secretary, and I’m pleased he will look into this urgently.

I am determined to accelerate investment in our hospital urgently, and I will continue to hold the Government’s feet to the fire until we get the improvements our community deserves.”