Promised new hospital for Cornwall in doubt

The Labour government said it had become clear the last government’s New Hospital Programme had become undeliverable and unaffordable

A project to build a new Women's and Children's Hospital in Cornwall is in doubt, after the government announced a review.

The planned building was expected to cost £291m and was scheduled for completion by 2028 as part of the New Hospital Programme announced by the Conservative government in 2019.

The scheme at the Royal Cornwall Hospital (RCH) in Truro is one of 25 planned new hospitals now in doubt following an announcement by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

He said the hospital building programme had become "undeliverable" and "unaffordable".

The project was due to combine maternity, neonatal, paediatric and obstetric and gynaecology services into one building, serving as the new main entrance for the RCH.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cornwall’s six MPs, including its four Labour members, are said to be "shocked and disappointed" by the news.

Other south west hospitals with schemes facing review include Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple and Torbay Hospital.

'Urgent internal review'

In a letter to MPs, Streeting said the new government is "fully committed to an NHS estate that is fit for the future".

"However, from our first weeks in office, it was clear that the New Hospital Programme (NHP) was undeliverable, unaffordable, and estimated costs had risen by billions."

He added: "We must reset the NHP to put it on a sustainable footing. For this reason, I requested an urgent internal review of all hospitals in the NHP."

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."

Andrew George MP has written to the health secretary

The trust added it welcomed the support of the local MPs.

Andrew George, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, has written to Mr Streeting saying "how alarmed" he and his colleagues are at the news.

"As well as being extremely unwelcome to the six of us, your letter will cause dismay not only amongst our NHS colleagues, but also the wider community, whose hopes had been cruelly raised by the promises of the previous government.

"The news is both shocking and disappointing."

Mr George added in his letter: "You imply that you’d be willing to meet us.

"On behalf of Cornwall’s six MPs, I’d like to lodge a request to meet as soon as possible to ensure your department and you are aware just how critical this project is for our population."

Additional reporting by the BBC's Archie Farmer.