Gleeds has been appointed by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust to deliver external project management expertise for a new Women and Children’s Hospital.
Andrew McNulty, UK Head of Healthcare at Gleeds said: “This project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of family-centred healthcare in Cornwall. We are excited to be part of the team that will deliver it.”
The family-centred healthcare facility is part of the Wave 1 New Hospital Programme projects.
Once built, the new hospital will serve women, children and babies across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It is the largest single investment in healthcare in Cornwall, expected to cost up to £500m.
The Women and Children’s Hospital has been a vision for more than 20 years. The existing estate for women and children on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site in Truro is nearly 60 years old and in poor condition. The estate is also split between two different buildings and lacks sufficient space for delivering care.
“We are delighted to have Gleeds on board, working alongside our in-house project teams at RCHT,” said Brian Johnson, Director of Estates and Facilities and Senior Responsible Officer for the Women and Children’s Hospital Programme. “This award completes the appointment of the professional team needed to help build the new Women and Children’s Hospital that’s fit for the 21st Century.”
Gleeds will work with the Royal Cornwall Hospital programme team and alongside Coreus as a sub-consultant. They will provide external project management expertise, coordinate the design and delivery partners, support business case development, and ensure the programme remains on track for time, cost and quality.
Once completed, the site will feature two obstetric theatres to support C-sections, a new gynaecology and paediatric theatres, paediatric accommodation, three new delivery birthing rooms, inpatient wards, age-specific sensory and play areas, neonatal unit, paediatric assessment unit, and transitional care units.
Construction is planned to begin in 2027-2028 and the new site is expected to be completed by 2031, with the final commissioning of the programme set for 2032.
The project is one of many that Gleeds will be delivering in the coming years, as it was recently appointed as project manager for the redevelopment of Airedale Hospital and Leighton Hospital.