Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has selected Kier to construct a new mental health hospital in Bexhill, England, UK. 

The project, worth £60m ($76.08m), marks the commencement of the trust's Redesigning Inpatient Services in East Sussex (RIS:ES) Programme. 

The programme aims to centralise all mental health inpatient services in the county of East Sussex. 

RIS:ES Programme director Paula Kirkland said: “This is a major milestone for a programme which has been almost four years in the making.  

“We are now looking forward to working closely with Kier as full construction of the new facilities begins in earnest.” 

Spanning 57,393ft², the site will offer inpatient services for adults, replacing the existing services offered at Eastbourne District General Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry.  

The hospital will feature three 18-bed wards, each providing individual bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. The design includes therapeutic landscaped green spaces for patients. 

It will also house outpatient services and training facilities for medical and related professions.  

The building will be powered entirely by electricity and incorporate energy-efficient systems such as solar panels to minimise its energy consumption and enhance environmental performance. 

Additionally, electric vehicle (EV) charging points will be made available for maintenance teams, staff, and visitors, promoting the use of green transportation.  

The car park's rain gardens will manage surface water runoff, directing it to a stormwater attenuation tank to prevent flooding.

Kier Construction Southern regional director Cheryl Parsons said: “We are delighted to be appointed by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver this new mental health hospital, which will provide improved and modernised services to the East Sussex region. 

“We look forward to using our wealth of experience and expertise to deliver this first-class health facility sustainably, benefitting the community for years to come.”