Women and Children’s Hospital for Cornwall top priority

The trust made the announcement after it was revealed that the Labour Government is reviewing plans for the unit promised by the Tories when they were in power.

However this week Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting announced that 25 schemes were up for review including this one.

He said the new building, which was expected to cost £291 million, is now under review as the new Labour government says it has become clear that the last government’s New Hospital Programme (NHP) has become undeliverable and unaffordable.

The trust said the population of Cornwall 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.”

It said it had 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.

It said its programme delivery team is now working hard towards the submission of its full business case and anticipate commencing early construction of a new pathology building, the next major enabling works scheme, later this year.

“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.”

Jayne Kirkham meeting with Wes Streeting (Image: Supplied)

One of those Labour MPs, Falmouth and Truro’s Jayne Kirkham told the Packet that the review meant the builds may be delayed or the scale of the buildings looked at again, not that it would never be built.

“The conservatives left the new hospitals programme unfunded with no money left after March and then called an election and essentially ran away,” she said.

“The programme has to be reviewed and may be delayed or the scale of some builds reassessed.

She said Cornwall’s Labour MPs had met with Wes Streeting to reinforce just how important the plans for the “women’s and children’s unit” are to Cornwall and how crucial its completion is to us here.

“We will continue to keep the pressure up during the period of the review,” she said.

“It’s incredibly frustrating that so many communities relying on new hospital facilities being built have been left in this position by the last Conservative government. There is a lot to be done to fix the mess they have left.”