Major improvements made to St Austell Community Hospital

Given the importance of the project, there was real concern that the coronavirus lockdown that was imposed in March 2020 could seriously compromise timescales associated with it. Recognising this, NHS Property Services, NHS Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust, project managers Kendall Kingscott and RM Developments, the contractor carrying out the works collaborated closely on a plan to allow improvements to continue in a COVID-safe manner. As a result of this, the works were delivered to time and the partners also used the opportunity to create additional bed space for other future clinical uses.

In total, NHS Property Services have invested £1.9 million on the facility, and the partners in this project hope that the works will provide local people with a safer and more modern community hospital for years to come.

Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell, said: “It is fantastic to see such an investment being made in healthcare locally, and these improvements will make this a much safer environment for patients and clinicians alike. This investment shows that the future of our local community hospital is secure and it is testament to the collaboration between the Trust and NHS Property Services that this project has been delivered to time, despite significant issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

James Wakeham, Principal Construction Manager for the South West at NHS Property Services, said: “NHS Property Services, along with our partners in this project, NHS Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust have worked hard to complete these works to stated deadlines, and to prepare the Hospital for the additional demands for bed space that may have been caused by COVID-19. We are delighted to be able to deliver much needed improvements for patients, and hope that these will assist the Trust in continuing to deliver excellent patient care.”