THE Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) and Cornish MPs have welcomed the news that the new Women and Children’s Hospital is to proceed as planned.

This follows the outcome of the government’s review of the New Hospital Programme. The Women and Children’s Hospital is the single largest investment in healthcare in Cornwall ever and the build is one of sixteen projects in the UK that will go ahead over the next five years, with construction expected to begin in 2027/28.

Steve Williamson, RCHT chief executive, said: “We are absolutely delighted the government has recognised the importance of our scheme to proceed on our current timeline. We will now press ahead to deliver our Full Business Case for the main Women and Children’s Hospital scheme.

“Building a new Women and Children’s Hospital for the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been an ambition for us for the last 20 years. Today’s news, on the back of last week’s confirmation we can start two of our essential enabling schemes immediately, means we can now make this a reality.

“Not only is this good news for our hospital and wider healthcare system, it is also excellent news for the local economy. As an anchor institution in Cornwall, we are determined to provide continued employment opportunities across the health and construction sectors, and deliver social value for the long-term prosperity of the county.”

“We look forward to continuing our work with the New Hospital Programme and delivering this much-needed scheme over the next five years.”

All four Cornish Labour MPs have welcomed the news.

Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, said: “I am really pleased to hear that the Health Secretary has recognised how vital the Women and Children’s Unit is to Cornwall and it has been placed in the first wave of the New Hospitals Programme to be prioritised and commenced within this Parliament.

“We all know that the Conservatives made promises they couldn’t keep so I am really pleased the need in Cornwall has been recognised by this Labour Government.”

Perran Moon, MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, said: “After a concerted lobbying campaign of Health Ministers by the 4 Labour Government MPs, this is simply tremendous news for the people of Camborne, Redruth & Hayle – and Cornwall more widely.

“It must never be forgotten that we inherited a total mess: the Conservatives had launched a scheme where the timetable was a work of fiction and the money simply wasn’t there. But we promised people we’d fix the NHS, reduce waiting times and regenerate hospital infrastructure. The Women & Children’s Unit at Treliske is a key part of delivering on that promise.”

Noah Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said: “I know the Secretary of State has well-understood the serious need at Treliske since his visit to us while we were all still on the campaign trail and I thank my colleague Jayne Kirkham MP in particular for her campaigning, and speaking up for Treliske in the numerous meetings we have had with Health Ministers since.”

Anna Gelderd, MP South East Cornwall, said: “The announcement that the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Derriford Hospital are priorities of the New Hospital Programme is fantastic news for South East Cornwall.

“Local residents have faced too many barriers to accessing healthcare. This investment is a vital step towards tackling these issues and ensuring that people can access the care they need closer to home.

“It’s clear that this Labour Government is committed to rebuilding our NHS, and I’m pleased to have worked alongside my Cornish and Devon Labour colleagues to deliver real improvements for our communities."

Liberal Democrat MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives, Andrew George, was also pleased with this news.

He said: “I congratulate all involved pressing the case for this important hospital investment. It was shocking to discover that the last government failed to budget for their promised investment. This is a day for celebration. We look forward to seeing the project proceed full steam ahead.”

Mr George thanked the Health Secretary Wes Streeting in the commons and asked him what he could do to ensure we can ‘crack on’ and deliver the ‘desperately needed’ project ‘in double-quick time’.

Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, was also welcomed the news. However, he also expressed concern over the Government’s decision to delay improvements at the crumbling North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple until at least 2035, under the revised programme.

He said: “While my constituents will be pleased to hear that new building will be underway at Treliske and Derriford within just a two to three years, it is disappointing that they may have to wait up to 15 years to see work start at the crumbling North Devon District Hospital. Their facilities are overstretched and outdated, and now patients will be left in limbo for even longer.

“These three hospitals are vital for our region, and I am pleased the Government has finally recognised the urgency of these projects - including the Women and Children’s Hospital at Treliske, as well as Derriford’s Emergency Care Hospital.

“Every patient, no matter where they live, deserves reliable care, and I’ll be holding the Government to account to ensure they deliver on their commitments to our communities.”