Cornwall hospital addresses uncertainty over huge £291m plans


The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) says it will continue to make progress with various parts of a project to modernise healthcare at its Treliske site despite plans for the new £291 million Women and Children's Hospital coming under threat.

Labour's health secretary Wes Streeting has said the scheme to combine maternity, neonatal, paediatric and obstetric and gynaecology services into one building will have to be reviewed as the New Hospital Programme (NHP) instigated by the Conservative government is now "undeliverable, unaffordable and estimated costs had risen by billions".

Cornwall's six MPs, including the four new Labour members, have said the news is "shocking and disappointing" and have called for a meeting with Mr Streeting to demonstrate how critical they believe the new "hospital" is for the Duchy's residents.

READ MORE:Cornwall's Labour MPs accused of being complicit in the deaths of 4,000 pensioners

READ MORE:Neighbour fuming over group of 40 kids in Cornwall cemetery

A spokesperson for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Building the new Women and Children’s Hospital is a top priority for us as our population deserves to have high quality healthcare provided in equally high quality, safe and modern facilities.

“Whilst we are disappointed plans for our project are among those to be reviewed by government, we are hopeful the progress made so far will put us in a strong position to ensure we are prioritised to proceed with our scheme as soon as possible."

Get the best stories and latest news delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you want here.

The Trust has already completed some of the major enabling schemes for the new hospital, with the new Trelawny Scanning Suite and Lowen Ward opening in June 2023. Its programme delivery team is now "working hard" towards the submission of its full business case and anticipates starting early construction of a new pathology building, RCHT's next major works scheme, later this year.

“Whilst the Government review is taking place, and until its outcome is announced, like all schemes within the New Hospital Programme we are being supported to continue to make progress," said the spokesperson.

“We welcome the support of our local MPs in realising the longstanding ambition for a Women and Children’s Hospital in Cornwall, which will bring huge benefits in terms of local clinical care for our patients, an improved work environment for our staff and much wider benefits to the overall local economy in terms of jobs and income to the county.”

The former Tory MP for Truro and Falmouth, who worked towards the completion of the Women and Children's Hospital has now entered the fray. Cherilyn Mackrory says she cannot stay silent on the plight of the project.

She said: "Throughout the end of 2022 and most of 2023, I facilitated many discussions between the Department for Health & Social Care and the Hospital Leadership team. The then Secretary of State had wanted to reduce the cost by changing the build. One of the most pleasing aspects of this build, however, was that the frontline staff had had an input into the design. They felt part of the project.

"To cut a long story short, after much negotiation, last summer an agreement was finally made. By October 2023 HM Treasury had given the go-ahead and enabling works had already begun. I have a letter from the leadership team welcoming this development and received updates on progress.

"Some of the commentary I have seen regarding the Women and Children’s Hospital is that it had not been started. False. The last assurance I received from the leadership team at RCHT that all was progressing to plan was in June, shortly before the General Election."

Mrs Mackrory added: "One of the main reasons I entered politics and became a Member of Parliament in December 2019 was to highlight baby loss and to improve health outcomes for our women and children. I chaired the All Party Parliamentary Groups in Westminster for Baby Loss and for Women’s Health. I worked cross party and constantly championed our amazing maternity team here in Cornwall. I was delighted to accompany the wonder Donna Ockendon (she of Ockendon Report fame) on a visit to meet our team and show what progress and vast improvements they have made in the last few years. I was proud to introduce the Pregnancy Loss Certificate for parents whose loss happens before 24 weeks, like mine.

"It is particularly frustrating, then, to see the new Secretary of State put Cornwall’s build under review. These arguments have already been made and agreed. I hope that our much-needed hospital can continue without further delay to ensure better outcomes for our population."