NHS Whistleblower Says Election Promise Of New Eastbourne Hospital Was A "Barefaced Lie"

A whistleblower who holds a management position within the East Sussex NHS Healthcare trust, has said an election promise for a new hospital in Eastbourne was a "barefaced lie".

An NHS staff member told More Radio that, of the 40 new hospitals promised, residents were told by the Prime Minister and their local MP Caroline Ansell that Eastbourne would be one of the districts to benefit.

Shortly after the announcement, the whistleblower says it was "made clear to my colleagues and I that Eastbourne would NOT get a new hospital, but we were under strict instructions not to reveal that."

On the Radio 4 Today programme this morning (July 4), Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, was interviewed by Nick Robinson and Mr Taylor confirmed no new hospitals would be built.

The whistleblower describes a "wave of relief" at hearing the news confirmed publicly.

They added:

"I'm sick of being complicit in maintaining what was a barefaced lie... We are not getting a new hospital and we never were."

"There will be some improvements - we hope - to Eastbourne DGH, but the scope of these diminishes with every briefing we receive.

"Let this fairytale end now.

"It is time that Eastbourne residents know the truth."

Caroline Ansell's office has sent a response to this allegation:

I never made any promise at the December 2019 General Election for a new hospital at Eastbourne. The announcement was made in October 2020. I would have needed a crystal ball to know it was going to happen.

When it was announced by the government, I welcomed the news and I have liaised with our hospital trust over the plans since then.

My understanding is the hospital trust has submitted several options for this major development of our health services in Eastbourne - as they are required to do. A new hospital is one of those options. The trust is working with the New Hospital Programme (NHP) at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). This will be quite rightly decided by health leaders.

When the government made the announcement, it was after consideration of our hospital trust’s own submission to DHSC. The hospital trust put forward the proposal for a new hospital as part of several options.

What is happening here is that several hundred million pounds will be invested in health care in Eastbourne - a huge sum that will make a huge difference to patients.

Our hospital leaders will drive how this is best spent to achieve the very best outcomes for patients.

It is unfortunate that some want to play politics with this incredibly good news.

For the avoidance of any doubt here are the DHSC definitions of a new hospital.

• A whole new hospital site on a new site or current NHS land, either a single service of consolidation of services on a new site.

• A major new clinical building on an existing site or a new wing of an existing hospital, provided it contains a whole clinical service, such as maternity or children’s services; or

• A major refurbishment and alteration of all but building frame or main structure, delivering a significant extension to useful life which includes major or visible changes to the external structure.