 The accident and emergency department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital had previously treated both adults and children.The new hospital won an award for the "Operational Project with the Best Design" at the Public Private Finance Awards in 2008, and won the 2008 Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award—a government award sponsored by the Office of Government Commerce and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.Judges considered that the design was cleverly executed on a difficult site, and incorporated elements appropriate to its seaside setting.