With the roof complete and the external wall cladding in place, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) has celebrated the “topping out” of the new Outpatient Department at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance.
Construction of the £9 million project began in January this year and will take 15 months to complete.
Chris Couch, Area Manager for Kier Construction, said that the construction is "progressing well" and that the collaboration across its teams and local supply chain is "exceptional".
Once the fit out and equipment commissioning is complete, the modern, fit-for-purpose building will open to patients in May 2025.
Artist’s Impression of West Cornwall Hospital Outpatient Department. Architect: Stride Treglown
The new building will provide technically advanced facilities in which staff will be able to provide face-to-face and virtual care in an accessible and patient-focused environment.
The department is also the first major capital project across RCHT’s sites to install solar panels to generate sustainable energy to support the unit.
The investment in the Outpatients Department reflects the key role West Cornwall Hospital plays in the provision of acute hospital care in Cornwall and the Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ commitment to delivering more care close to home.
The new outpatient building at West Cornwall Hospital is progressing really well – to time and budget
Paul Sylvester, General Manager for RCHT’s West Cornwall Hospital, said: “Now that the external works are close to completion, we can look forward to the internal works getting underway and seeing the clinical space really start to take shape.”
Cornwall Councillor Jim McKenna said: “The new outpatient building at West Cornwall Hospital is progressing really well – to time and budget. When it opens in May 2025 it will enable many more people based in West Cornwall to be treated in Penzance rather than have to travel to Truro."
“I am certain this investment will help secure the future of West Cornwall Hospital and I would like to thank all those involved for engaging so effectively with residents living in the vicinity.”
Top image credit: RCHT
