Cornwall hospital's new women and children's unit faces delays

A new women and children's unit in Cornwall will not be completed until 2028 if approved, a report has said.

The cost of the project, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital near Truro, will also top £290m, the report to a Cornwall Council committee said.

Previously it had been estimated to cost £100m.

It had been hoped work would have started last year with a view to it being finished by 2024, but it is now hoped it could be completed in 2028.

The cost of the new unit had been due to come from extra NHS funding announced by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019.

However, the overall programme has been hit with delays and rising costs.

Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust (RCHT) bosses have published an outline business case for the project, with the hope it will be approved by the government in early 2023, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

RCHT heads were now hoping construction work could begin in summer 2024, with a view to completion in autumn 2028, they said in their report to the council's health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee.

The report seeks the council's support for the programme.

It also stated there was about £30m of backlog maintenance at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, which was having an impact on the finances of the trust and the ability to provide new, modern services.

"The poor working environment affects staff morale; compromises clinical safety and quality; and constrains the achievement of optimum clinical standards," the report said.

The council committee will consider the report when it meets on Wednesday.

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